GM EV1 Model
The National Museum of American History has a scale model of a General Motors EV1 in its collection. It is not currently on display. I stumbled across this interesting tidbit in my semi-regular search for a scale model of the EV1. As I can never own the real thing, I really want one for my desk. Ironically, the museum also has a real EV1 in it’s collection as well. The Smithsonian’s model was donated to them by Bob Purcell, and I assume he was given it when he worked at GM. Enjoy!
“DESCRIPTION-
The EV1 was the first modern electric car designed for a mass market. In 1990, the California Air Resources Board required automakers to offer emission-free vehicles by 1998. Of the various makes and models of electric vehicles placed on the road in California, only the EV1 was designed from scratch. Its aerodynamic shape and advanced power management systems, developed by AeroVironment Inc., GM Electric Vehicles, Hughes Electronics, and other GM subsidiaries, made the new car practical, energy efficient, and appealing to consumers. Beginning in 1996, General Motors built 1,117 EV1 cars and leased most of them to consumers in California, Arizona, and Georgia. Lessees liked the EV1, but in 2003 GM abruptly canceled the program, citing high production costs and a small potential market for future sales of electric cars. But concerns about air pollution and climate change, and consumer interest in lower energy cost per mile, created a market for electric cars. In 2010 GM began selling the Chevrolet Volt, a hybrid car with a gasoline-charged electric motor. The all-electric Nissan LEAF, Tesla Model S, Ford Focus Electric, and Chevrolet Spark EV expanded energy choice while eliminating tailpipe emissions.”
Image Courtesy of the National Museum of American History
Image Courtesy of the National Museum of American History
Image Courtesy of the National Museum of American History
Image Courtesy of the National Museum of American History
Smithsonian’s Full-Size GM EV1
