AUTO HISTORY
When General Motors showed its Impact electric concept car in 1990 it marked another chapter in the history of trying to promote a successful modern electric car. It was a quest that could be traced back to the infancy of the automobile, and while electrics did enjoy brief popularity early in the 20th century, gasoline soon took over. The electric's main drawback was a short driving range which limited it largely to urban use.
We are referring to a car powered by an electric motor energized by on-board batteries recharged from an outside power source. This is not be confused with a gasoline/electric hybrid like the Chevrolet Volt which has an electric motor and an internal combustion engine to charge the batteries.
GM’s electric, called the Impact, was prompted in part by California Air Resources Board (CARB) legislation requiring that two per cent of all cars sold in California by 1998 emit zero emissions. This was to rise to 10 per cent by 2003.
CARB had conveniently ignored the fact that electricity often came from fossil fuelled power plants. The “3 by ‘98” law was a classic case of legislation attempting to drive technology, and would be abandoned when it proved impractical.
In spite of the history GM persisted, and in 1996 introduced its EV1 (Electric Vehicle One) car to the public. Because battery power deteriorates as temperature falls, GM offered it by lease only in the Los Angeles, San Diego, Tucson and Phoenix areas.
GM spent some $1.5 billion (U.S) producing this attractive, highly sophisticated little, two-passenger electric car that was as close to state-of-the-art as possible at that time. Its sleek coupe body had a coefficient of aerodynamic drag of just 0.19 when most cars were over 0.30. It rolled on Michelin 175/65-14 low resistance self-sealing tires (requiring no spare or jack) mounted on aluminum wheels, and had a lightweight plastic body over an aluminum space frame.
The power brakes (disc front, drum rear) and rack-and-pinion steering were electrically assisted and the EV1 was well equipped with air conditioning, power windows and locks, AM/FM/cassette/CD sound system and cruise control.
The low two-seater was quite compact at only 4310 mm (169.7 in.) long on a 2512 mm (98.9 in.) wheelbase. It was a mere 1283 mm (50.5 in.) tall. The real downside, another electric disadvantage, was a weight pushed up to 1,361 kg (3,000 lb) by the 533 kg (1,175 lb) pack of 26 12volt lead acid batteries.
The EV1's front wheels were driven by an AC electric motor rated at 137 horsepower from 7,000 to 13,000 rpm. Torque was 110 lb-ft developed from zero rpm to 7,000. Suspension was A-arms and coil springs in front and a rigid axle, control arms and coil springs at the rear.
According to Car and Driver (3/97) the EV1 was very quiet with quite adequate performance. They recorded zero to 97 km/h (60 mph) in 8.4 seconds. Top speed was governed at 129 km/h (80 mph).
The electric's usual driving range limitation was still present. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rated the EV1 at 146 km (90 mi) highway and 129 km (80 mi) city. C and D's observed "real world" range was 96 km (59 mi).
Getting under way was relatively simple. Enter a five-digit code on the console keypad, press the "RUN" button, move the shift switch to drive (there were neutral, drive, park and reverse positions) and press the accelerator. The "fuel gauge" was a charge indicator that showed distance left in the batteries, calculated on power usage during the previous few minutes of driving.
The EV1 was recharged in about 14 hours by plugging into a household electrical source which energized a small, on-board portable charger. A faster charging method was GM's "Magne Charge" charger that recharged in less than three hours, and had to be leased from GM. A small amount of energy was recovered by on-board regenerative charging during coasting and braking when the electric motor temporarily converted to a generator.
The EV1 met with modest public response. A few EV1 drivers were very enthusiastic, but the public generally yawned. Uptake was so slow that cars began piling up on dealer lots. Finally in 1999 GM stopped making the EV1 after approximately 1,000 had been built. It, like Toyota, had discovered that there was limited interest in an all-electric car.
In 2006 Sony Pictures produced a Michael Moore type "documentary" entitled “Who Killed the Electric Car.” Among the "villains" cited in the EV1's death were GM, the U.S. government and even CARB. But the real killer was public apathy. People were not interested in paying a premium price for a car that had a driving range equivalent to about two gallons of gasoline.