Who Killed the Electric Car?

With the the new Chevy Volt being all the rage in the world of autos these days and GM being praised for leading the industry into the future its important to realize that the idea of an electric car is not a new one. 12 years ago GM built a successful and wildly popular electric car. The year was 1996, the car was called the "EV1". The state of California was about to pass new fuel emissions standards enacted by the state and GM wanted to prove that if passed they would cripple the automotive industry. Well, the plan backfired. People in California loved the GM electric car so much that nearly every single person who agreed to the trial lease of the vehicle (it was not for sale but only leased to select customers as a test) wanted to purchase and keep it. GM reacted in 2003 by recalling and destroying every single EV1 in the state via THE CRUSHER! see pic above. An excellent documentary on this bit of recent history can be purchased or rented almost anywhere; it’s called Who Killed the Electric Car? The only thing GM was concerned with protecting was their profits. Now, 12 years later with their backs against the wall, GM has announced it plans to go forward with the electric powered Chevy Volt. One can only think if they went electric in 96, how much better shape the company would be in today.