as much as the EV1 situation makes me angry, as much as I would love a commercially viable electric, there are reasons gleamed over in that video why GM really had no choice about the EV1.
If GM had done anything other than crush the EV1s, it would not have been able to write off the entire project as R&D Loss. If anything our tax, and patent system really killed it.
The EV1 was a phenomenal loss for GM, one which they were required to take due to California state legislation. That is fine, cost of doing business is dealing with changing regulations... Consumers (i.e. large groups of them) have not clamored for electric cars untill quite recently.
GM has largely self-stifled their ability to innovate, but the us government has done just as much. Capitol (such as machinery to build cars) depreciates (tax benefits) differently in Japan and America, this is one big reason why GM built the same motor for 50 years, whereas Japanese automakers have worked hard to redesign/perfect theirs every 2-5 years. This one factor (not redesigning every few years) is key in figuring out why japanese automakers make cleaner, more fuel efficient, more reliable designs... their government uses TAXATION to force innovation, instead of the other way around.
In other words it was better for GM to write off 500m they spent on the researching the EV1, than it would have been to pay taxes on 500m they spent developing a new model of car.
I am really hoping the volt takes off, since a parallel (synergy drive) hybrid like a prius is not even particularly closer to weaning us off gas, but a series hybrid (100% electric drive with gas generator on board for range extender) is actually a step in the right direction.
