Before the Prius and Tesla, came the EV1. The world’s first mass-produced electric car was launched by General Motors back in 1996 and was capable of nought to 60 in eight seconds.
However, within a few short years, almost every vehicle was recalled and crushed, and the electric car of the future disappeared in history’s rear-view mirror.
Witness History spoke to Wally Rippel, research engineer for AeroVironment, a Californian company that developed the EV1s predecessors for General Motors.
Witness History: The stories of our times told by the people who were there.
