Jack Harding / RJ MunaThe EV1 was a real electric car on the roads in 1996. So where did it go?The modern electric car revolution is still in its early stages, but it could have started much earlier if history had gone a little differently. This is the story of the EV1, the first modern electric car from General Motors. The Need for Electric Speed In January 1990, General Motors showed off a concept car at that year’s LA Auto Show, called the “Impact.” It was an all-electric two-seat vehicle, designed from the ground up as an EV, instead of using an existing frame from a gas car. GM said it could go from zero to 60 miles per hour in 8 seconds. For comparison, the Tesla Model 3 Performance can do that in about 3 seconds, while the 2023 Chevy Bolt EV is advertised at 6.5 seconds. The Impact was powered by 32 lead-acid batteries — the same type of battery used in gas cars then and now. The official range was 124 miles, but the battery pack would need to be replaced every 20,000 miles, which GM estimated would cost around $1,500. Even though the car was impressive, General Motors was hesitant to move it to mass production, expecting low demand from buyers. However, some U.S. states like California and New York were hoping to pass laws to increase adoption of electric cars, with the goal of further reducing air pollution in cities and decreasing dependence on oil… Click below to read the full story from How To Geek
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