The Electric car grows up

In the 1990s, under pressure from California legislators, car companies began to build zero emission vehicles. General Motors introduced the EV1, a 100% Electric car with a range of 80+ miles.

The story that followed was made famous by the movie "Who Killed the Electric Car"

Watch the trailer to "Who Killed the Electric Car" on Youtube.

Not many people know the EV1 was built in Lansing Michigan at the now demolished Lansing Craft Center. I know this, because it was the same factory my dad would later work at building the Chevy SSR.

Here is a picture of my dad on my Flickr website

I have taught a lesson about the Electric car of the 1990s and the new Chevy Volt, an electric/gas hybrid. I have previously used images from the Creative Commons. Now I can upload my own photos so that others may use my images if they choose. Here are some differences between the EV1 of the 1990s and the new Chevy Volt

1. The Volt is built at the Detroit/Hamtramck plant, while the EV1 was built at the now demolished Lansing Craft Centre. 
2. Few EV1s remain, most were crushed (The EV1 on display at the College for Creative Studies), while the Volt seems to be selling well. They are adding an additional shift at the factory.
3. The EV1 was a 100% Electric vehicle that got 80+ miles a charge, the Volt is an Electric/Gas hybrid that gets about 40 miles per charge then uses a small engine to generate electricity. The EV1 required a special charger while the Volt charges on the standard 110 volt outlet. You can also use a 220 volt outlet for a faster charge.

A volt charging station from my Flickr account

A man charging a an EV1 from the Creative Commons