A rare electric car, marked by time and sun, turned up in a seized vehicle yard in Georgia, US, and was eventually sold at auction for more than $100,000.
What initially seemed like just an automotive curiosity turned into something bigger: a restoration project that brought together YouTube creators and General Motors engineers — as well as reigniting the debate about the origins of modern electric mobility.
The vehicle in question is a GM EV1, considered the first modern electric car developed by a major automaker.
The green model, identified as VIN 212, was purchased by a private collector and is now the subject of an ambitious restoration led by the YouTube channel Questionable Garage.
GM itself has confirmed its collaboration on the project, helping to preserve pioneering technology and celebrate 30 years of the EV1, which will be celebrated in 2026.
The EV1 and GM’s electric history
Although the EV1 is often remembered as a 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 electricity-powered trucks.
Decades later, the automaker explored the concept again. Starting in the 1960s, several electric prototypes were tested. In 1990 GM introduced the Impact concept, a revolutionary model that would later evolve into the EV1.
The EV1 arrived to the public in 1997, but was never sold. Approximately one thousand units were produced at a special plant in Lansing, Michigan, and made available only through leasing. Years later, GM salvaged most of the vehicles, leaving only a few non-running examples stored in museums and universities.
The controversy that marked the end of the EV1
The end of the EV1 program generated one of the greatest controversies in the history of the automotive industry.
In the early 2000s GM decided to shut down the project and withdraw almost all of the leased cars, many of which were later destroyed.
The decision provoked protests from enthusiasts and environmentalists, who accused the industry of not investing enough in electric vehicles.
The case gained great international resonance and became the subject of the documentary “Who Killed the Electric Car?”, published in 2006.
A pioneering program
Despite its short lifespan, the EV1 has become one of the most important vehicles in automotive history. It was the first modern electric car produced on a scale by a major manufacturer and designed from the start to run exclusively on electricity.
The model also introduced several technologies now common in electric vehicles.
Among the innovations were:
- heat pump for the air conditioning system, which increased the car’s energy efficiency
- advanced braking system that combined traditional hydraulic brakes with regenerative braking
- by-wire electronic controls that replaced mechanical connections in the throttle, brakes and transmission
- low rolling resistance tires designed to increase range
- aluminum spaceframe structure that reduced weight and improved efficiency
These solutions have helped establish the technological foundations for many of today’s electric vehicles.
An unexpected discovery
The green EV1 found in Georgia had been virtually forgotten in a seized vehicle warehouse. When the car appeared at auction — a first for an EV1 — enthusiasts rushed to join the bidding.
The car was eventually sold for over $100,000 to Billy Caruso, an avid collector of historic electric vehicles.
Caruso joined his father, known as Big Mike, enthusiasts Daren and Freddie Murrer and Jared Pink, founder of the Questionable Garage channel. The group then started the so-called V212 Project, with the aim of completely restoring the car and bringing it back on the road.
The goal is to present the restored vehicle to the public by November 2026, when the EV1 turns 30.
GM enters the project
When videos of the restoration started gaining exposure on YouTube, they caught the attention of Mark Reuss, president of General Motors.
The company therefore decided to officially support the initiative. The Questionable Garage team was invited to visit GM’s Global Technical Center in Warren, Michigan, where they received components from a donor EV1.
During the visit, restorers also had the opportunity to speak with engineers and executives who had worked on the original EV1 program in the 1990s.
Specialists at the GM Heritage Center showed off historic vehicles that preceded the EV1, such as the Electrovair II, the Sunraycer solar car and the Impact concept. The company’s engineers also presented an internal project involving a special specimen known as EV1 #1.
The legacy of the EV1
Although it disappeared from the streets for decades, the EV1 remains 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 this technology.
Now, with the restoration of the rare VIN 212 example and direct support from GM, the nearly forgotten car may be back on the road — and help tell a key 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 editorial team.
