One of the biggest challenges in the toll processing world is refining lithium, cobalt and the other vital precious metals needed to produce high-quality electric batteries for cars and other consumer goods.
Whilst the electric car can be traced back well over a century and proved to be successful until the rise of the Ford Model T, one of the first mass-produced electric cars of the modern era had an exceptionally strange story behind its inception, limited release and ultimate demise.
In 1990 General Motors showed a concept car called the Impact, which was so popular that GM would start work on their first purpose-built electric car, known as the EV1.
Initially, it was due to Californian laws that would require at least two per cent of the cars made by the seven largest car manufacturers in the USA to be emission-free. Ironically, these laws were proposed because of the potential shown by the GM Impact concept car.
As the EV1 predated more advanced lithium-ion batteries. The first generation would have used lead-acid batteries and have a range of between 70 and 100 miles depending on a range of factors.
It was initially very popular, but oddly GM seemed to respond badly to the positive press. The EV1 was the first electric car that felt like a regular car and had a lot of features that would become standard on modern electric cars, such as keyless ignition, regenerative braking, power steering and several other innovative features.
Even with the range issues, fixed with the transition to NiMH battery technology, people seemed to be keen on electric cars and how they would progress. Despite this, the car was only available under a strange lease model.
Despite even this, the people who had EV1s were not using them as novelties but actually integrated the cars into their lifestyles, but concerns were raised that GM was trying to sink the car by only advertising it via direct mail and on niche television channels.
In 2002, production on the EV1 was cancelled amidst significant controversy and all but around 40 models were recalled and crushed.
The controversy lies in the reasons behind the sudden cancellation. For GM, the reason was simply a matter of battery technology not advancing fast enough and the cancellation of the California laws that would have required cars like the EV1.
For critics of the cancellation, GM’s actions were a symbol of deliberate sabotage of the project, as there was the belief that had the cars been successful they could potentially have affected the sales of GM’s petrol and diesel cars.
Exactly where the truth lies is unclear, but the EV1 was a fascinating early example of the early potential of electric cars, which would eventually be realised by the EV market seen today.