by Mike -
In 1966
General Motors experimented with an electric car based on a 1966 Corvair called the Electrovair II. It was powered by a silver zinc battery pack producing 532 volts located in the front and the rear.
Silver zinc was chosen because it delivered high peak power but the batteries wore out after 100 recharges and were expensive. The batteries powered a 115 horsepower AC-Induction motor that produced about the same performance as a gas powered Corvair except that the range was only 40-80 miles. The top speed was 80 MPH.
The Electrovair II weighed 800 pounds more than a regular Corvair and there were gauges on the dashboard for monitoring volts and amps.
This was just an experiment but one has to wonder where would they be if GM had continued developing electric car technology since 1966?
These pictures were taken at the
Marin Sonoma Councours d'Elegance on May 15, 2011 by Michael Menetto.
Click on the images for a larger view.
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