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With all the attention Tesla gets and the large number of Nissan Leafs running all over most metro areas, it's easy to think the modern electric car movement started only a few years ago.
As those who have seen Who Killed the Electric Car know, GM produced its own electric car in the late 1990s called the EV1. Its 70-to-100 mile range rivaled the current Nissan Leaf, and it was only available as a lease for around $500 per month.
While the styling is straight out of the '90s, the EV1's design has aged well, even if John Davis did call it a "soap bar" in his 1997 review of the car. The 26 lead-acid batteries had to be replaced every 450 charges, but its electric motor made a surprising amount of power for the time—137 horsepower.
The car's cancellation is still controversial, especially since GM insisted on crushing all but one of the units it produced. Since that time, the story in the U.S. has been mostly SUVs and CUVs, but electric cars have been growing in popularity, especially lately.
It's still a niche market and will be for years to come, but quite a few companies are bringing their own electric vehicles to market over the next few years. When EVs eventually find their success, to some degree, they'll have the GM EV1 to thank for starting things off.
