Transport & space · 1996

GM EV1

The first mass-produced, purpose-built modern electric car.

General Motors leased about 1,100 EV1s in California and Arizona from 1996. Its later nickel-metal hydride version reached about 160 km of range. GM recalled and crushed most of them, but it showed modern EVs were technically viable and inspired later startups.

See it in the living tree Wikipedia

Arcs above join it to what it stood on, arcs below to what it led to. The bar places this stretch on the tree's whole timeline.

What it built on 3

Microprocessor (Intel 4004) 1971
La Jamais Contente 1899
AC induction motor 1888

What it led to 1

Tesla Roadster 2008

Related measurements

The dashed line marks when it first worked.

Electric share of new car sales Latest: Battery electric: 16.5 % of new cars (2025) Source: Our World in Data

Lithium-ion battery cell price Latest: 78 $/kWh (2024 USD) (2024) Source: Our World in Data