Tesla has revolutionized the mainstream EV market.
The EV1 started life as the Impact concept car and later became a full-fledged production model.
The EV1 also featured regenerative brakes, which was an extremely advanced tech at the time.
Image Credit:BMW
EV1s even had heat pumps, which are vital to increasing an EV’s range during the winter.
Yes, you heard that right; GM decided to crush most of these engineering marvels.
One of the reasons was that GM couldn’t provide future parts support for the vehicle.
Image Credit: Mike Weston/Flickr
The entire debacle led to a documentary accusing GM of killing the electric car, which fueled conspiracy theories.
Regardless, the EV1 will forever hold an important pioneering role in EV history.
The Chevy S10 EV popped onto the scene long before Rivian, in 1997, to be exact.
It looked like any regular pickup truck, so the range was obviously nothing to write home about.
Today, we’re spoiled with amazingEV pickup trucksthat can truly go the distance on a single charge.
Regardless, GM and its Chevy S10 EV were innovators in the EV pickup truck segment.
Image Credit:BMW Group
Toyota RAV4 EV
Electric SUVs seem to be the hottest vehicles on the road.
Every car manufacturer either offers or is planning on offering an electric SUV.
This is not surprising because SUVs generally tend to sell very well.
TheEPA’s Fuel Economywebsite rates the total range of a 2000 RAV4 EV as 88 miles.
If you’re a city dweller, you might still use this EV as daily transport.
It might not be the fastest vehicle around, but it’ll take you where you should probably go.
This is another vintage electric vehicle that was severely limited by the available battery technology.
However, it’s still amazing that EVs roamed the streets long before Tesla made its first car.
BMW E1
The BMW E1 was a revolutionary BMW concept car from the early 1990s.
BMW made two versions of the concept, both with distinct styling.
BMW’s current i3 electric hatchback clearly draws plenty of inspiration from the original tiny BMW electric vehicle.
These materials were used to keep weight down to counteract the heft introduced by the batteries.
It also delivered on the range front, with around 150 miles of usable range.
The E1 looked amazing and surprisingly modern for its time.
The side profile is also oddly reminiscent of a scaled-down Tesla Model X.
Yes, you read that right, 1987.
This is an EV from the 80s powered by a completely renewable energy source.
The Sunraycer laid the groundwork for General Motors' first electric vehicle, the aforementioned EV1.
The Sunraycer was immensely aerodynamic and energy efficient, with solar panels integrated neatly into the slippery bodywork.
This vehicle demonstrated that you could source power from the sun to propel a vehicle effectively.
Why Did EV Progress Stall?
All the vehicles mentioned here are amazing feats of engineering.
