So if I am to rent a car for long distances, do I drive the EV1 to the local rental agency, and rent the car, then leave the volt there for the duration of the trip come back and hope the EV1 still has enough charge to get me home?

How long did the battery on the EV1 keep enough charge to get me home? Lets say I only used 25% charge to get to the rental company, then would there be 25% usable charge left after a 9 day vacation?

Like it or not, the EV1 was very limited. Sure they might still be in use today if GM had not disposed of them, but either way it was limited and only a drop in the bucket compared to the global auto market at the time.

 

The limitations of the EV1 were all well within corrections/improvements under EXISTING technologies. No magic here, just a few hurdles.

 

Any EV will be limited. But there is clearly a range of activity where it would make a big difference. A plug-in EV with a 60 mile range gets me to work and back. Given that's 90% of my driving, it would be great. So for long trips or extended stays, maybe I use a regular car.

 

That would make sense. I am purchasing, on Monday, an 06 FEH that I am going to use primarily as my work vehicle. I will continue to won my 'regula' vehicles mainly as they have many more years left in them and are best suited to particular jobs.

 

I think the ev1 could have survived as a niche vehicle. I doubt it could have made it as the sole car for too many people. But as a secondary or commuter vehicle, I think it could have done the job. I still think GM would have beenway ahead in the hybrid gone if they had built on the EV1 foundation instead of selling out to Chevron.

 

I'll second the EV1 making it as a historic niche car - and a lot of great PR for GM had they not "pulled the plug" (pardon the bad pun). Apparently it was still a testbed for the Volt anyway.

 

It would have been a great short commute car, but not practical for the normal family with kids in every imaginable activity.

 

I agree. It would have been a definite niche product....and it could have gotten better and better as battery technology gets better, and oil and global warming, and national security, and all the reasons why more efficient cars are called for now...GM could have been riding this wave right now...

...could of...would of...should of....really, GM had no one to blame but themselves.

 

Very well summarized! Amen! Every time I close my eyes, I imagine the new and improved EV3...

 

Hopefully the Volt will *BE* the new and improved EV3. If they build it for 2010 and do so for under $30k, I'll be one of the first to buy one. And I'll also forgive GM.

If the don't build it, or if they try to sell it for $100k, or if they make it a "mystery lease" like the EV1, then I'll know that it was all PR smoke.

Btw: I read in the HybridCars rumor mill that Tessla is developing an all-electric sedan for $30k. That's the company that makes those electric sports cars that go from 0-60 in 4.1 seconds.