By Joe Benton
ConsumerAffairs.com
November 10, 2006
General Motors is looking to shed its image as an electric car killer and home of the Hummer. The automaker is preparing to show off a prototype plug-in hybrid at the Detroit auto show early next year.
Citing unnamed GM officials, the Detroit News reports the advanced-technology vehicle would have an extended driving range on battery power and would also have a diesel or gasoline engine that could power the car when the battery was low.
GM developed an electric car called the EV1 but killed the project amid sharp criticism in 2002.
The Toyota Prius hybrid went on sale in the U.S. the next year and is now the most popular hybrid in the country.
The EV1 was introduced at the 1997 Los Angeles auto show and leased to selected customers but GM eneded the project in 2002, citing insufficient public support.
GM collected and destroyed almost all of the 1,000 EV1 cars, prompting the making of a documentary titled "Who Killed the Electric Car?" The film was released this summer.
GM CEO Rick Wagoner has said killing the $1 billion EV1 program was his worst decision. While it did not affect GM profitability, Wagoner conceded the move hurt the automaker's image.
Plug-in hybrids are gasoline-electric vehicles that can recharge their batteries with an extension cord and a normal wall outlet.
GM, which is trying to recover from a $10.6 billion loss in 2005 and stop a slide in U.S. market share, has been criticized for relying heavily on gas-guzzling SUVs.
Other automakers are also researching plug-in technology, including Toyota Motor Corp., the world's leading producer of hybrid vehicles.
Honda Motor Co. Ltd. has also called for exploring plug-ins and is conducting advanced research on hydrogen.
