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There is a new film out entitled Revenge of The Electric Car which documents the exciting journey of the three major electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers Tesla Motors, Nissan, and General Motors as they each attempt to remold the automobile industry and the future of personal transportation. And while Revenge illustrates how each car company introduces an EV model that is truly unique and innovative, the first modern electric vehicle was actually produced over a decade ago back in 1996. Meet The EV1 The General Motors EV1 was an all-electric car produced from 1996 to 1999. The EV1 had a 60-mile range and was only available to the public under a special automotive leasing program. Actor Danny DeVito has a cameo in Revenge talking about the EV1 he used to drive and pointing out that it was a "fun, fast, zippy little car." Although customer reaction to the EV1 was overwhelmingly positive, the vehicle lease program was phased out by GM and the majority of EV1s were destroyed. Rick Wagoner, CEO in 2003 when the announcement was made to crush all EV1s, would later cite an inability to sell the cars at a profit. Critics of GM quickly pointed out the durability and low maintenance qualities of electric vehicles, which most likely posed a threat to GM's long-term revenue model by eliminating the need for tune-ups and service repairs. Toyota RAV4 EV Toyota also produced an all-electric vehicle in the late 1990s to early 2000s - the Toyota RAV4 EV - that had a battery range between 80 and 120 miles. In 2010, records show there were 750 RAV4 EV units still in use, but the majority of Toyota's RAV4 EVs were discontinued in 2003 after a lawsuit for control of the special RAV4 EV NiMH (nickel metal hydride) batteries was awarded to Chevron-Texaco. Elon Musk and Tesla Motors Elon Musk is an American engineer and a serial entrepreneur. He founded Silicon Valley startup Tesla Motors in 2003 using $7.5 million dollars of personal money he had earned from running two other companies, PayPal, now owned by ebay, and SpaceX, specializing in privatized space exploration. He also sits as chairman of the board of SolarCity, a photovoltaic integrator hoping to bring solar panel technology to the forefront of American energy independence. Musk is also rumored to be the inspiration behind Iron Man director John Favreau's characterization of Tony Stark, the protagonist in the modern Iron Man movie series. Tesla is most famous for its first production vehicle, the Tesla Roadster, which is an all-electric sports car positioned in the luxury automobile market. The Roadster hypes 0 to 60 mph acceleration in 3.9 seconds with 244 miles of battery range. Tesla's popularity in the luxury EV market has not come without struggle. The company restructured its leadership board in 2007 after facing crippling production issues, and by February 2008 Musk had invested a reported $70 million dollars of his own money into the company to keep it from collapsing. There is a scene in Revenge where Musk is shown meeting with Tesla owners angry about not yet receiving the cars they had preordered. Musk appears very somber as he apologetically asks each yet-to-be Roadster owner for more money. In June 2009 Tesla was approved for a United States Department of Energy loan totaling $465 million dollars. This loan is said to be the lifeline behind Tesla's newest EV model, the Tesla Model S. Tesla Model S Snapshot: Full-sized 4-door all-electric sedan Delivery expected mid-2012 Base model will have 160-mile range with 0-60 mph acceleration in 5.6 seconds Extended range models available with battery ranges of 230 and 300 miles Bob Lutz and the Chevy Volt It is said that Bob Lutz, General Motors Vice Chairman from 2001 to 2010, drew his inspiration for the modern Chevrolet Volt after seeing the Tesla Roadster at the 2006 Detroit Auto Show. Lutz's initial idea was to develop an all-electric car, but he later changed his mind after hearing the history of GM's EV1 experience. His final production-designed Volt includes an electric battery pack with an average 40 miles of driving range complemented by a gasoline-burning engine with 9.3 gallon capacity, or 300 miles per tank, which GM included to address any battery "range anxiety" concerns. If Lutz's name rings a bell, it might be because of his executive ties to a number of very powerful automobiles. Lutz was the head of Chrysler Corporation's Global Product Development, which very successfully oversaw the implementation of the Dodge Viper. He was an Executive Vice President at Ford Motor Company where he initiated development of the Ford Explorer. Prior to working with Ford, Lutz was an Executive Vice President at BMW for three years where he helped develop the popular BMW 3-Series automobile line. And during his final tenure at GM, Lutz had a hand in developing the Pontiac GTO, the modern Chevy Camaro, the Cadillac CTS, and a number of other very favorable and iconic automobiles. A man of vast automobile knowledge and vision, Lutz was quoted in 2008 saying that "the electrification of the automobile is inevitable." The Volt has received numerous awards including being named the 2011 Motor Trend Car Of The Year, 2011 Car And Driver Ten Best Cars, 2011 Automobile of the Year by Automobile Magazine, and the 2011 North American Car of the Year announced at the 2011 North American International Auto Show. The Volt also earned the 2012 Best Resale Value Award in the category of electric cars by Kelley Blue Book. Carlos Ghosn and the Nissan Leaf The current CEO of Nissan Motors and the man who has overseen the development of the Nissan Leaf, Carlos Ghosn, has an automotive background dating back to 1981 as the head of research and development with Michelin. He worked his way up the Michelin corporate ladder until 1996 when Renault then hired him to oversee operation in South America. In 1999, Renault purchased a 36 percent stake in Nissan, and Ghosn soon became the head of both companies. The Nissan Leaf, like the Tesla Roadster, is a zero-emission, all-electric automobile. But unlike Tesla, Nissan positioned itself as the producer of a mass-market EV, creating an electric vehicle affordable enough for the masses. According to Nissan, the Leaf's expected all-electric range is 100 miles. However, most independent driving reports show a slightly shorter range which is closer to 70 miles under realistic driving conditions. Nissan has North American manufacturing plans for the Leaf slated to begin production in late 2012 in Smyrna, Tennessee. The Smyrna plant is expected to produce up to 150,000 vehicles and 200,000 battery packs annually. Final thoughts Hopefully this article has inspired you to rethink the future of personal transportation. And hopefully it has given you some perspective behind choices that were made in the past related to developing technologies. We end this article with some tough questions: First, why would big oil companies fear widespread adoption of electric vehicles? Second, why would a large automotive company, such as GM, fear widespread adoption of all-electric vehicles? Finally, is it possible that these same companies fear the development of alternative energy solutions? Can an electric vehicle be powered by solar? Just like a solar energy system atop a home or business can provide power for light bulbs, appliances, and other devices needing electricity, so too can an automobile be powered by solar energy. Solar panels (also called photovoltaics) absorb energy in sunlight form. This energy from the sun is then converted into traditional electricity which can then be used to provide power to anything, even an automobile! And while EVs like the Leaf and Volt are not the first of their kind (Toyota introduced an electric Rav-4 in 1997 that was later discontinued), they are surely an innovative step in the right direction. Using solar photovoltaics (PV) at your home or business makes even more sense with a plug-in EV. The investment in solar panels pays off faster when the solar power is not only replacing grid electricity but replacing much more expensive gasoline. EVs typically can travel 3-4 miles (or more) per kWh of electricity. If you drive 12,000 miles per year, you will need 3,000-4,000 kWh. Depending on where you live, you will need a 1.5kW-3kW PV system to generate that much power using about 150-300 square feet of space on your roof. And utility credits for the daytime solar power that you sell back to your power company can offset the cost of charging the car at night.
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