In about 1964 General Motors produced an experimental electric car called the Electrovair 1.

It was built to prove the feasibility of electric drive for passenger vehicles pending the availability of a practical high energy battery.

The electric car was a modified 1964 Corvair and was powered by zinc-air batteries. The drive system consisted of a 120 lb, 12,000 rpm, 3-phase induction motor, capable of producing 115hp.

In 1966 GM produced the Electrovair II. Twenty-two years later, in 1988, GM funded research to build a practical consumer electric car.

The resulting vehicle became known as EV1 and was based on a prototype vehicle called the Impact.

A modified EV1 prototype set an electric vehicle land speed record of 183.8 mph (294 kph) in 1994.

Between 1996 and 1999 GM produced 1,117 EV1 cars, which were only leased, never offered for sale.

The car had a top speed of 80 mph (128kph) and accelerated from 0 to 30 mph in under 3 seconds and 0 to 60 in under 9 seconds.

The EV1 cars were originally fitted with lead acid batteries and had a maximum range of 75 miles (120 km), which later increased to 100 miles (160 km) when fitted with 26 12V Panasonic lead-acid batteries.

By 1999 the cars were fitted with 26 13.2V Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries and had a maximum range of  150 miles (240 km).

Towards the end of 2003 GM cancelled their EV1 program.