I think one main difference in the way I viewed sports cars up until the EV1 was I thought about them in terms of driving at sustained distances and how much open road it took to safely drive at over 100 mph. What I did not anticipate until the EV1 was how much fun acceleration can be. You only need a few seconds and an empty on-ramp to enjoy that aspect of the car.
So, I gradually started to find myself enjoying the acceleration in small bursts — on an on-ramp, passing another car, taking a curve. Hence, my slow discovery of my 'enjoyment of acceleration' — perhaps a variation on 'the need for speed.’Tim McCann, another Caltech alumnus wrote:
I really enjoyed the movie, it opened my eyes to a lot of the history that was behind the electric car. I'm very disappointed I never got a chance to drive an EV1. I did know about them, and thought I'd buy one when they came out with a four-passenger version. So much for that idea.Pasadena EV activist and Caltech staff member, Chris Yoder wrote:
I was amazed by the information that they managed to pack into it. Even though I've been following this story very closely for the last 16 years, I need to see it several more times to get everything that was mentioned…but it was very well presented.Many of the people who saw the movie said their interest in EVs began as a technological solution. Kodama explained:
I would say that I really didn't think about them until news came out about GM's Impact development and the EV1 actually came out.The primary reason why I was interested to get one is that using batteries and electronics just seemed like a much better solution than internal combustion (i.e. it appealed to me on a technical basis).
But second to me was that it seemed clear (even back in the 90s) that it was strategically important to not depend on oil for everything. It really seems like a 'no-brainer' now. I was especially happy to see a company in the U.S. taking the technological lead there.
Article comments
1 - Sam
Being one of the lucky few that GM deemed "worthy" to lease this car, this film brought back all the rage I felt when it was finally pried from me with threats of legal action. This film is a must see for anyone who cares about not only America's geopolitical future, but more broadly the air we all breathe not to mention, the ever rising cost of gasoline.
That said, it has one major flaw in the sense that in my opinion, it failed to hold Democratic politicians as guilty as Republicans. I'm afraid that may mistakenly alienate many viewers and I say that as a Democrat. I guess I feel the message of the film is too important to be delivered with any partisan bias so if your politics lean towards the right, please try not to be offended. Remember that this particular murder was one of those truly rare bi-partisan endeavors. For example, the ZEV Mandate that enabled the EV1 was passed under Governor Wilson, a Republican and the man who pulled the trigger essentially killing the ZEV mandate (and thereby, the EV1) was none other than Alan Lloyd. He just so happened to work at the pleasure of a Democrat, Gov. Gray Davis (who correct me if I blinked and missed it, never appeared in the film!) So Davis was let completely off and Lloyd (the actual assassin) treated with less comtempt than Bush Jr. or Andy Card (who were also guilty, but only by association).
That said, the facts presented in the film that I had personal knowledge of, or experience with, were 100% true. Just don't forget that the actual asassin was Dr. Lloyd because he still makes his living as a con-man. He fronts as an environmental scientist hyping at the very least a very unlikely if not flat out fantasy future with hydrogen fuel cells.
2 - Andre
just saw the movie. I have to say that I'll never buy another GM car again, electric or otherwise. To waste resources in the way that GM does it (in addition to crushing cars that EV owners were willing to buy) makes me NEVER want to do business with that company ever again. I'll get my next electric Prius or Ford .. whatever.. but not GM.
3 - William Meadows
With all the love of the EV-1, did anyone save the plans of the car so someone else could use some of the design features, ideas and espically the improvements from it to privately build a new unit that might be better or made more available without the interferance of the automakers or the oil industry? Are there any service plans, parts lists or maybe other manufacturing hints that would enable a conversion of an existing car to electric. Just wondering...
4 - Tom O'Neill
GM, the company who not only abandoned the EV 1 but sought to obliterate its existence, is insisting on taxpayer money to perpetuate its own existence. In the long run is that kind of a company, with such power over our transportation needs, our environmental needs and the economic needs of working people a help or a liability to our society?
5 - gnomædh
Even just thinking about the death of the EV1 program fills me with rage! I still can't believe our society's utter stupidity when it comes to NOT mandating efficiency upgrades on regular vehicles and NOT effectively guiding our industry away from fossil fuels... We're going to pay for this quite dearly in the very near future, I'm afraid.
I was so inspired by what happened to the EV1 program that I started looking into different alternate technologies for transportation. I have found a few interesting possibilities along the way... There is hope yet before our society utterly hits the wall.
Let's remember the EV1 period as an example of what not to do with innovative technological change, but rather a reminder that technology is dynamic and ever changing and we should look at growing with it rather than sticking our heads in the sand.
I think that Peak Oil is about to spank the Scrooge out of the car manufacturers and force a total rethink of what it means to have mobility in the 21st century.
Let's see what the future brings...
Open your minds!
thanks; gnomædh