Imagine the Impact - May 1990
Below is a phenomenal 13 minute GM May 1990 Update video about the phenomenal Impact (EV1) prototype development program, testing, and future possibilities for electric vehicles. The Impact prototype and EV1s had the lowest Coefficient of Drag (Cd = 0.19) of any production vehicle. Imagine that the Impact work and this great video took place over 17 years ago! Recently (January 2007) GM announced the exciting Volt Plug-In Series Hybrid EV concept car. A video (click here) was provided showing the Volt prototype in operation. Hopefully we'll see further development of the Volt and a production version in showrooms very soon (no later than 2010). One can't help but think how far ahead GM was 17 years ago with the highly efficient and gorgeous Impact/EV1 effort compared to the Volt, and that a "Volt PSHEV" like vehicle could have been in the showrooms in 2000 (with NiMH batteries). Here is a page describing a late 1990s EV1 PSHEV effort by GM. Of course gasoline was very inexpensive in the late 1990s ($1.20 a gallon), there was less environmental awareness of global warming and fuel burning issues, and SUVs were the profitable vehicle at the time. Imagine if EV1s had been kept around and upgraded to Lithium batteries we would have 300 mile capable EVs on the road today.
If you can't wait for the below download you can instantly view (with less quality) the "Imagine the Impact - May 1990" video by clicking here to go to
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