What Happened to GM's EV1? Will Anyone in Congress Ask About it Before Bailout?

[BradBlog]

What Happened to GM's EV1?
Now Would Be a Good Time for Congress to Ask the Automaker Why They Killed Their Perfectly Good and
Much-Beloved All-Electric Car in 1999...

The GM EV1, first sold in CA in 1996, was much beloved by its owners (leasers, actually, since they were not allowed to buy them). There were waiting lists to be able to get one, before finally, three years later, with little or no explanation, GM announced they would not be renewing any of the leases on those cars and those who used them would have no recourse but to give them back.

Customers were outraged, heartbroken even, when GM failed to renew all of the leases to the fast, quiet and gasoline-free cars three years later.

Incredibly, not only had GM taken back the cars, they actually sent them, in perfectly good working order, to be shredded --- literally shredded. Now why would they have done that?!

With GM's hat-in-hand, threatening "bankruptcy within the month" if they don't get billions of tax dollars from Congress pronto, it sure seems like someone up on Capitol Hill oughta ask GM's CEO the still-unanswered questions about the EV1...

FULL STORY, VIDEO TEASER FROM 'WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR?":
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=6725

[AndyA]

1. I heard GM's CEO talk about the EV1 to Congress yesterday.

It was on NPR last night. He said it was a good program, and that lots of the ideas from the EV1 are being used in the new electric cars under development at GM today. He also said GM lost money on the EV1, which is what ultimately killed it.

The stockholders wanted profits!

[TheWraith]

4. Also, GM was anticipating advances in battery tech that didn't happen.

The EV1 improved greatly when they shifted to NiMH batteries instead of lead-acid, but the fact remained that even then the charging took too long relative to the mileage, and the batteries were far too expensive to build and eventually replace.

[Kolesar]

2. If GM had released the EV1, the domestic-automaker-bashers would have ridiculed it horribly

The technology certainly was not ready for release.

Now, go try again with "some other drama" to excite the Democratic Underground.

[clear eye]

5. Hey!!

Now, go try again with "some other drama" to excite the Democratic Underground.

Just because Brad didn't know the details of the demise of the EV1 gives you no right to say that he was posting his suggestion to create "drama". From where I stand, his post was pretty matter-of-fact, and you are the drama queen.

[TheWraith]

3. Will people PLEASE stop spreading myths?

The disappearence of a primitive, short range electric vehicle which cost $80,000 to build is hardly a great mystery. GM had produced emissions filtration tech good enough to meet the California definition of a "zero emissions vehicle" without it having to be 100% battery electric, which was the only practical option back when the rule was originally passed. GM wasn't even close to making money on the EV1 and never would be, so they stopped making them.

[clear eye]

6. If they KNEW it was a myth, most people wouldn't repeat it.

The movie created a false impression. I don't know the motivation of the creators of the film, but it is certainly understandable that others would believe it. What you wrote in your post is enlightening, but couldn't you have simply entitled it "A GM ulterior motive is a widespread myth" or something like that? Your title implies an intentional disinformation campaign.

I'm also a little sensitive, in part because of the accusation of the poster directly above you, and because I know that the other posts I've read from Brad have been accurate and informative. I'd hate to see him discouraged from posting on DU.