EDITORIAL: The legacy of the pioneering, controversial EV-1

Recently I was reminded of an anniversary: 30 years ago, GM chairman Roger Smith announced his company's commitment to build the pioneering and controversial EV-1 electric vehicle (EV). Two media colleagues preparing articles about the landmark called me for comments on EV-1's place in history.

It seemed like 1996 (the year EV-1 entered production) all over again. The anniversary of the first mass-produced, purpose-designed EV of the modern era roughly coincided with GM's commitment to an all-EV light-vehicle portfolio by 2035. But that much-heralded news was not without critics. Some of the coverage carried brickbat quotes from Dan Becker, longtime auto-industry heckler from the Sierra Club, now with a group called Center for Biological Diversity.