WHY ISNT THE EV1 AVAILABLE NATIONWIDE?
Electric vehicle technology is rapidly emerging and because of urgent air quality problems in California and Arizona, GM has limited the EV1’s initial availability to those states. As manufacturing capacity increases and electric vehicles become cheaper to produce, they will hopefully be more widely available. GM is learning a lot about how to market an electric car along as well as dealing with the complexities of setting up charging infrastructure in California and Arizona. One other issue affecting first generation EV1’s is the lead-acid battery pack which is less efficient in cold winter climates, making them more ideal for California’s warmer weather. The generation 2 (1999) EV1’s will be equipped with either Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries developed by GM Ovonic Battery Corp., or a new type of higher capacity lead acid batteries. NiMH batteries are not at all affected by cold weather, making them ideal for a wider range of climates in addition to offering double the range o
