General Motors EV1

The EV1 is the most important failure in electric car history. Built from 1996 to 1999 in response to California's zero-emission rules and inspired by GM's 1990 Impact prototype, it was the first attempt by a major American automaker at a purpose-built, mass-produced electric car. Its drag coefficient of 0.19 was remarkable, and later nickel-metal hydride packs gave it 75 to 150 miles between charges. Yet only 1,117 were built, first-generation cars were leased under agreements that prohibited purchase, and GM reclaimed and crushed most of them. Every EV program since has carried the memory of how that ended.