A rare electric car badly weathered by time and sun has turned up at a junkyard in the US state of Georgia and eventually sold at auction for more than $100,000.
What initially seemed like just an automotive quirk ended up becoming something much bigger: a restoration project that brought together YouTube content creators and General Motors engineers — and reignited the debate about the origins of modern electric mobility.
The vehicle in question is a GM EV1, which is believed to be the first modern electric car developed by a major automaker.
The green model with VIN 212 was purchased by a private collector and is currently undergoing an ambitious restoration at Questionable Garage Running a YouTube channel.
GM has confirmed that it is working with the project to help preserve a pioneering technology and celebrate the EV1’s 30-year anniversary, which will take place in 2026.
The electric history of the EV1 and GM
Although the EV1 is often considered 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 already sold electric trucks.
Decades later, the automaker began to look into the concept again. Starting in the 1960s, several electric prototypes were tested. In 1990, GM introduced the Impact concept, a revolutionary model that later served as the basis for the EV1.
The EV1 was released to the public in 1997, but was never commercially available. Approximately one thousand were produced at a special plant in Lansing, Michigan, and was available only through lease. Years later, GM recalled most of the vehicles, leaving only a few non-working examples in museums and universities.
The controversy surrounding the end of EV1
The termination of the EV1 program sparked 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 later were destroyed.
The decision sparked protests from enthusiasts and environmentalists, who accused the industry of not investing enough resources into electric vehicle development.
The case received a great response worldwide, and presented in 2006 “Who Killed the Electric Car?” became the subject of a documentary film.
A groundbreaking program
Despite its short life cycle, the EV1 has become one of the most important vehicles in the automotive industry. It was the first modern electric car to be produced in series by a major manufacturer and designed from the outset to run solely on electric power.
The model also introduced many technologies that are now commonplace in electric vehicles.
Innovations included:
- heat pump air conditioning system that increased the car’s energy efficiency
- advanced braking system that combined traditional hydraulic brakes with regenerative braking
- electronic by-wire control that replaced mechanical linkages for accelerator, brake and drivetrain
- low rolling resistance tires that increased range
- aluminum spaceframe structure that reduced weight and improved efficiency
These solutions have helped to create the technological basis for many of today’s electric vehicles.
An unexpected discovery
The green EV1 found in Georgia was almost completely forgotten in a lot reserved for impounded vehicles. When the car went up for auction — which is extremely rare for an EV1 — fans immediately started bidding.
The car was eventually bought for over $100,000 by Billy Caruso, a passionate collector of historic electric vehicles.
Caruso teamed up with his father, the man known as Big Mike, and fans Daren and Freddie Murrer, as well as Jared Pink, founder of the Questionable Garage channel. The group launched the so-called V212 project, the aim of which is to completely restore the car and bring it back to working condition.
The plan is to unveil the restored vehicle to the public in November 2026, when the EV1 will celebrate its 30th anniversary.
GM joins the project
When videos of the restoration gained traction on YouTube, they caught the interest of Mark Reuss, president of General Motors.
The company then officially started supporting the initiative. The Questionable Garage team was invited to the GM Global Technical Center in Warren, Michigan, where they received parts from a donor EV1.
During the visit, restorers also had the opportunity to speak with the engineers and managers who worked on the original EV1 program in the 1990s.
Experts from the GM Heritage Center also showcased historic vehicles that predated the EV1, such as the Electrovair II, the Sunraycer solar car, and the Impact concept. The company’s technicians also revealed an internal project with a special example known as EV1 #1.
Legacy of the EV1
Although it disappeared from the roads decades ago, the EV1 still represents the beginning of the modern era of electric cars.
According to many experts, it proved that electric propulsion could work in vehicles produced by major automakers long before the technology was widely adopted by the global market.
Now, with the restoration of the rare VIN 212 and direct support from GM, the almost-forgotten car can get back on the road — and help tell an important chapter in electric vehicle history.
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Source and Images: YouTube Questionable Garage | GM. This content is generated with the help of artificial intelligence and verified by the editorial team.
