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5 Things You Need to Know About the GM EV1
By Bill Siuru
GM's Answer to the ZEV Mandate
The California Air Resources Board's ZEV Mandate originally required that by 1998, 2 percent of all new cars offered for sale by the seven major auto manufacturers in California had to be zero emission vehicles, that is, battery electric vehicles. This requirement was to have grown to 10 percent by 2003. Of all the manufacturers' EVs, GM's EV1 was the most innovative and the only one designed from the ground up to be an EV, not a gasoline vehicle converted to battery power. GM invested the most, a reported one billion dollars, to develop and market an EV.
Much Use of Leading Technology
The EV1 was based on a GM Impact prototype created by AeroVironment and included design ideas from the GM Sunraycer that competed in the World Solar Challenge, a trans-Australia race for solar powered cars. The first generation EV1s, sold as 1997 models, used 26 Delco 12-volt lead-acid batteries. Second generation 1999 models used 26 Ovonic 13.2-volt nickel-metal-hydride batteries. Some of the Gen 1 EV1s were refurbished and upgraded with Panasonic lead-acid batteries. The EV1 used many advanced, at least for the day, technologies including anti-lock brakes, traction control, heat pump AC and heater, keyless entry and ignition, and special one-way thermal glass for better heat rejection. To keep weight down, the sleek coupe used dent resistant side panels on an aluminum frame, super light magnesium alloy wheels, and magnesium framed seats. To maximize range, the EV1 had the lowest aerodynamic drag coefficient of any production vehicle in history – a Cd of 0.195 compared to the typical Cds of 0.3 to 0.4 that are considered good. It rode on self-sealing, low rolling resistance tires with an automated tire pressure loss warning system. Regenerative braking recouped energy to keep batteries charged.
Great Performance
The EV1 could accelerate from 0–60 mph in about eight seconds and had an electronically limited 80 mph top speed. The Gen 1 cars got 55 to 75 miles per charge with the Delco batteries and this increased to 75 to 100 miles when the Panasonic batteries were substituted. Gen 2 EV-1s with Ovonic NiMH batteries got 75 to 150 miles per charge. Recharging took as much as eight hours for a full charge, with an 80 percent charge requiring just two to three hours. Inductive charging was done via a Magne Charge paddle placed in the front chargeport. GM offered a home charger.
Why Was it Canceled?
There is much controversy as to why the EV1 was cancelled, some of it bordering on conspiracy theories that includes GM not wanting to displease the oil industry by mass producing a car that doesn't use gasoline or put mechanics out of a job, since an electric car doesn't require much maintenance. However, extraordinarily high battery costs were the real culprit. In 2001, the California Air Resources Board modified the ZEV mandate to allow manufacturers to claim partial ZEV credits for hybrid vehicles, and in 2003 removed the requirement for EVs. Despite unfulfilled waiting lists and positive feedback from users, GM stated that it could not sell enough of the cars to make the EV1 profitable, ever. It should be pointed out that the leases were highly subsidized by GM. How long would the list be if leases were based on the true cost of the car, estimated to be about $80,000, rather than the $33,995 to $43,995 figures used to compute the lease?
You Couldn't Buy One
GM never sold an EV1. It was only available for three year leases with no option for renewal or purchase at the end lease period. Leases ranged from $299 to over $574 monthly. The EV1 was only available from Saturn dealerships in California and Arizona. The last private EV1 lease expired in August 2003. After 2003, GM would not sell EV1s because of product liability concerns from both the purchasers and any future owners. GM's own policies required service and replacement parts for the EV1s for at least 10 years. This represented a problem because suppliers stopped making replacement parts because of low demand, making repairs difficult if not impossible. Batteries were especially troublesome because batteries were very expensive and could require replacement every 25-35,000 miles. A total of 1117 EV1s were built, 660 Gen 1s and 457 Gen 2s. GM donated around 40 EV1s to colleges and universities, and to several museums. All the donated EV1s are the original 1997 versions and were disabled by removing the controller and batteries. The rest were stripped of their recyclables and crushed. Few were retained by GM.
Bill Siuru is a retired USAF colonel who has been writing about automotive technology for nearly 40 years. He has a bachelor's degree in automotive engineering, a PhD in mechanical engineering and has taught engineering at West Point and the U.S. Air Force Academy.
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