The EV1 electric car by General Motors was was produced from 1996 through 1999. It was the first modern production electric vehicle to hit the road and was availible through a lease program through the manufacturer. Despite its short life (the vehicles were ultimately all recalled by General Motors and destroyed), I believe the aesthetics of the EV1 surpass any electric car on the road today. The design hit a sweet spot of being visually distinctive without being too outlandish. The form made a visual statement that this car was different. It was nice to look at and a blast to drive.
Driving the EV1 convinced me that electric cars were the future of transportation. It would be another decade before commercially available all-electric automobiles would be on the road again. Following are photos that I shot of the EV1 in Los Angeles, California.
— Ted Owens
![EV1 electric car design with an aerodynamic body and headlights.](https://www.buildingwithawareness.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/EV1-Electric-Car-General-Motors-Front-Headlight-Design.jpg)
The EV1 featured recessed headlights and a clean design that had the lowest drag coefficient of any car in history at the time.
![EV1 electric car showing the streamlined underside for better aerodynamic performance.](https://www.buildingwithawareness.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/EV1-Electric-Car-General-Motors-bottom-panel-streamline.jpg)
Even the underside of the EV1 was streamlined for better aerodynamic performance. Most cars on the road today have undersides that are anything but aerodynamic.
![EV1 electric car with open hood showing the motor and inverter compartment.](https://www.buildingwithawareness.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/EV1-Electric-Car-General-Motors-inverter-open-hood.jpg)
The EV1 electric car with open hood showing the motor and inverter compartment. The power was stored in heavy lead-acid batteries.
![EV1 electric car interior view showing the two seats and the center console.](https://www.buildingwithawareness.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/EV1-Electric-Car-General-Motors-Interior-Seats.jpg)
The interior of this two-passenger electric car featured side-by-side seats separated by a control console. The interior design was neat and clean.
![EV1 electric car with wrap-around illuminated instrument panel.](https://www.buildingwithawareness.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/EV1-Electric-Car-General-Motors-Instrument-Panel-Interior.jpg)
The wrap-around illuminated instrument panel was easy to read and a break from conventional dashboards at the time.
All photographs Copyright © 2016 by Ted Owens. All rights reserved. You may use these photographs on your website for non-commercial use as long as they are unaltered and you link back to www.BuildingWithAwareness.com