A rare electric car, worn by time and sun, turned up in a warehouse for impounded vehicles in Georgia in the US and was eventually sold at auction for more than $100,000.
What at first seemed like just an automotive curiosity developed into something bigger: a restoration project that brought together YouTube creators and engineers from General Motors — and at the same time reignited the debate about the origins of modern electric mobility.
The vehicle in question is a GM EV1, which is considered the first modern electric car developed by a major car manufacturer.
The green model, identified as VIN 212, was purchased by a private collector and is now undergoing an ambitious restoration led by the YouTube channel Questionable Garage.
GM itself has confirmed that the company is collaborating on the project, both to help preserve a pioneering technology and to mark the EV1’s 30th anniversary, which will be celebrated in 2026.
EV1 and GM’s electric history
Although the EV1 is often remembered as an important milestone in electric mobility, it was not GM’s first electric vehicle. At the beginning of the 20th century, when electric cars were relatively common in cities, the company was already selling electric-powered trucks.
Decades later, the automaker again began to explore the concept. From the 1960s, several electric prototypes were tested. In 1990, GM presented the Impact concept car, a revolutionary model that later developed into the EV1.
The EV1 was introduced to the public in 1997 but was never sold. About a thousand units were produced in a special facility in Lansing, Michigan, and were made available only through leasing. Several years later, GM recalled most of the cars, and only a few non-working examples were preserved in museums and universities.
The controversy that marked the end of EV1
The end of the EV1 program created one of the biggest controversies in the history of the automotive industry.
In the early 2000s, GM decided to end the project and take back almost all of the leased cars, many of which were later destroyed.
The decision sparked protests from enthusiasts and environmental activists, who accused the industry of not investing heavily enough in electric vehicles.
The case received great international attention and later became the subject of the documentary “Who Killed the Electric Car?», which was published in 2006.
A groundbreaking program
Despite its short life, the EV1 became one of the most important vehicles in automotive history. It was the first modern electric car produced on a large scale by a major manufacturer and designed from the start to run solely on electricity.
The model also introduced several technologies that are now common in electric vehicles.
Among the innovations were:
- heat pump for air conditioning that increased the car’s energy efficiency
- an advanced braking system that combined traditional hydraulic brakes with regenerative braking
- electronic by-wire controls that replaced mechanical linkages in the accelerator pedal, brakes and transmission
- low rolling resistance tires designed to increase range
- an aluminum spaceframe structure that reduced weight and improved efficiency
These solutions helped establish the technological basis for many of today’s electric vehicles.
An unexpected discovery
The green EV1 found in Georgia was almost forgotten in an impounded vehicle warehouse. When the car appeared at auction — something unusual for an EV1 — enthusiasts flocked to participate in the bidding round.
The car was eventually sold for more than $100,000 to Billy Caruso, a collector with a great passion for historic electric cars.
Caruso teamed up with his father, known as Big Mike, enthusiasts Daren and Freddie Murrer and Jared Pink, the founder of the Questionable Garage channel. The group then started the so-called Project V212, with the aim of completely restoring the car and getting it back on the road.
The aim is to present the restored vehicle to the public by November 2026, when the EV1 turns 30 years old.
GM joins the project
When the restoration videos began to gain attention on YouTube, they caught the interest of Mark Reuss, president of General Motors.
The company then decided to officially support the initiative. The team from Questionable Garage was invited to visit GM’s Global Technical Center in Warren, Michigan, where they received parts from a donor EV1.
During the visit, the restaurateurs also had the opportunity to talk to engineers and managers who worked on the original EV1 program in the 1990s.
Specialists from the GM Heritage Center showcased historic vehicles that preceded the EV1, such as the Electrovair II, the Sunraycer solar car and the Impact concept. The company’s technicians also presented an internal project with a special specimen known as EV1 #1.
EV1’s legacy
Although it disappeared from the streets decades ago, the EV1 still stands as a symbol of the beginning of the modern era of electric cars.
For many experts, it proved that electrification could work in vehicles produced by major automakers long before the global market adopted the technology.
Now, with the restoration of the rare example VIN 212 and direct support from GM, the almost forgotten car may return to the roads — and help tell an important part of the story of electric vehicles.
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Source and images: YouTube Questionable Garage | GM. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editors.
