In 1996 GM introduced the EV1 (electric vehicle1) and began allowing the public to lease them.  The EV1 could do everything the Volt will do, amply accelerate, reasonable top speed (around 80 mph), and Charge of the grid or solar panel.  There is one area that the EV1 far surpasses the volt.  The EV1 could go 3 times farther on a single charge with a range of up to 150 miles.  It may not seem far, but most people don’t commute to work further than 60 miles anyways.  In fact most people don’t drive that far every day.

GM’s next move has been very controversial, they had pulled all working EV1’s off the streets by 2003 and crushed them, then proceeded to sell the patent for their batteries to Texaco (part of the conglomerate of oil comapies).  Learn more by watching the video documentary ”Who Killed the Electric Car.”  To make it more drastic some universities that were given deactivated EV1s have reactivated them and come under fire from GM for violating agreements. GM reacted sternly to the schools for allowing the cars to be driven on the road, which violated the agreement.

There is no fear because this will all soon become GM’s loss as a result of independent automakers beginning to produce electric vehicles with ranges around 250 miles and quick chargers that can charge these batteries in 10 minutes.  To learn more see Electric Cars, Renergy Cafe’s Top 3.

Whatever the reason for GM creating a vehicle with a range of only 40 miles is now irrelevant.  What is important is that there is new technology that truly can change the future of our world.

Author James Moelk, site owner

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