GM’s EV1 - A car the world should have come to know a bit better

[Kacey Green]

Probably needed it back as a mule

[JusBringIt]

Well, now the ev1 is in perfect position to bite gm in the rear quarter panel.

[R.I.D.E.]

I know where an EV1 is sitting right now. It's in the parking lot at the Virginia Tech school of Engineering, with a current Va state license plate still on the car.

I saw it there the last time I visited the class at Tech for their final report on the design we had been working on. This was one month ago.

Wish I had taken a photo, maybe on the next trip.

regards
gary

[desdemona]

Originally Posted by R.I.D.E.

I know where an EV1 is sitting right now. It's in the parking lot at the Virginia Tech school of Engineering, with a current Va state license plate still on the car.

I saw it there the last time I visited the class at Tech for their final report on the design we had been working on. This was one month ago.

Wish I had taken a photo, maybe on the next trip.

regards
gary

Does it have an engine? I have heard that the EV1s don't have engines inside. (Maybe from "Who killed the electric car?"
Maybe it should have been called "What killed GM?"

--des

[xcel]

Hi All:

___I had the fortunate luck to meet the advanced technology vehicle development manager for the EV1, Gary Witzenburg, while attending the HS 250h short lead yesterday. In doing so, I came away from the experience shaking my head as to his ideas and our realities... He has written numerous articles as to the details of the EV1's rise, fall and current comeback of sorts in the form of the Volt concept.

___A lightening rod of sorts both inside and out of our community, what he has written sometimes makes perfect sense...

…you have rolled out the red carpet to predatory, low-cost foreign competitors who come here to take our market and pump hundreds of millions more dollars out of this country.

___And at other times, he appears to be just another journalist writing to the whims of the next paycheck?

It's been rough and rocky sailing since, but – contrary to what many believe – GM leadership under current CEO Rick Wagoner has been outstanding.

___I rode along with him during his preview drive of the HS 250h and one comment that struck me particularly strident from someone that had worked on what at one time was an answer to today’s worst problems was the following:

My time is unrecoverable so fuel economy doesn’t matter.

___Similarly he said, “The Lexus HS 250h would never be in my garage” because it supposedly did not have the performance and size he craved in an automobile. Even with $3.00 gas knocking on our door let alone the $4.00 per we were all paying last summer, he must be one of those that still pay homage to the "Go" pedal or heaven forbid the world will come to an end for some reason?

___Comments like the above from a very highly placed individual behind the machine known as the EV1 leads me to believe there were two very different mindsets that must have accompanied its development no matter the countless hours expended on making the EV1 the best BEV ever made up to that point in time.

___He finished his drive at 33.0 mpg while my own ended at 57.9 mpg. Obviously the 5 to 6-minutes of time he saved while at 10 + mph over the limits in some areas was far more valuable than the almost halving of fuel consumed during my own period behind the wheel? I sometimes believe Automobile Journalists hate being in the vehicles we are so privileged to drive because they are always in such a damned hurry to get out of them for some reason

___If you would like more details from a GM insider as to the rise and fall of GM’s EV1 program, I suggest you do a google on his past write-ups for yet another take on why GM is where it is at today.

Gary Witzenburg - EV1 development manager in front of the formidable but probably very slow selling 2010 Lexus HS 250h.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

[jkp1187]

Originally Posted by xcel

___Similarly he said, “The Lexus HS 250h would never be in my garage” because it supposedly did not have the performance and size he craved in an automobile. Even with $3.00 gas knocking on our door let alone the $4.00 per we were all paying last summer, he must be one of those that still pay homage to the "Go" pedal or heaven forbid the world will come to an end for some reason?

___Comments like the above from a very highly placed individual behind the machine known as the EV1 leads me to believe there were two very different mindsets that must have accompanied its development no matter the countless hours expended on making the EV1 the best BEV ever made up to that point in time.

I suspect he isn't the only automotive engineer that doesn't like to to drive slowly. Might be a little self-selection there?

[desdemona]

I'd like one even today. I think the 30 miles is completely functional. I think its cute (what is that ugly cr**-- this is without knowledge that form should follow function. You get these car designs in which form doesn't follow function hence when it does, people think its ugly.) Anyway the price tag would be too much, it certainly was back then and the Volt, should it ever come out would be too. But it still is a good idea, even if niche. Much like the Tesla.

--des

[Chuck]

Originally Posted by desdemona

I'd like one even today. I think the 30 miles is completely functional. I think its cute

Come to think about it: the EV1 looks like the original Honda Insight with a boatail.

[desdemona]

A cute little link, I don't know if you could necessarily rely on the info-- seems a little to the fringe of "who killed the electric car?"
http://www.ev1.org/

But the title did grab me-- GM crushed the electric car, now GM is crushed.
--des

[desdemona]

Originally Posted by binclintonusa

I really hope you like this new challenge! Best of luck, everyone!

pret auto

Not sure which challenge-- the challenge of GM going under? Losing the American industrial base? Getting GM to pick up the EV1 again (no chance).

--des