Green-tech: “Recycling” Electric Vehicles
Carbon emissions are one of the biggest environmental concerns in our society. The one large-scale solution that can ease-up the astronomical yearly emissions (33% of the United States and 20% of global carbon emissions) produced by motor vehicles is finally taking shape right before our eyes: battery-powered vehicles.
The electric vehicle was actually first introduced in 1996 by General Motors with their EV1 model. The EV1 was the first mass-produced all electric vehicle, and it’s reception was phenomenal. These vehicles were extremely popular in California, where they were first released to the public for lease-only agreements, as part of a “real-world engineering evaluation”.
After a few years of great success, GM decided that the electric vehicle was no longer a profitable niche within the automobile market, and in 2002 decided to literally take back crush all of these vehicles. The EV1’s removal from the market is, to this day, a controversial topic in many environmental circles. Who Killed the Electric Car?, a documentary released in 2006, investigates and examines the controversy caused by the removal of the EV1.
In hindsight, the removal of these vehicles seems unnecessary now that nearly every major car manufacturer is to release an electric vehicle within the next year; a concept and transportation mode that is growing very quickly in popularity.
Would non-removal of the Ev1 have put us a step ahead in the battle against our own carbon emissions? Now that the electric vehicle is taking its full shape in the motor vehicle market, what are the pros and cons of owning one of these clean, mean, green machines? Stay tuned to our blog for the “de-bunking” of the misconceptions about the electric vehicle.
photo courtesy of Plug In America
