Press Release

Electric Vehicle Association Comments on EV1 Plant Dedication

11/18/96

Statement from Electric Vehicle Association of the Americas on General Motors
Dedication Today of First Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Plant


SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 14 -- Forget what you may have read
or heard: Electric vehicles are for real. Want evidence? Today,
General Motors showed off a plant outside Detroit where it is making
the EV1, its sleek new electric-powered sports car.  The first of
these two-seaters are heading straight to southern California and
Arizona. They will be marketed through Saturn retailers beginning
early next month. The EV1 will more than hold its own on I-5; it
accelerates like a rocket -- from zero to 60 mph in 8.5 seconds.

And next month, at an industry conference the company is sponsoring in
San Diego, the world's other leading automakers will show off new
electric cars and trucks that they are or will soon market, mainly to
fleets. Besides GM's sports car, there will be Ford's Ranger EV
electric pickup, Chrysler's EPIC minivan, Toyota's RAV4-EV sport
utility vehicle, Honda's Honda EV, and Chevy's S-10 Electric Pickup.

Just last month, at a worldwide gathering of the electric vehicle
industry in Osaka, Toyota Motor Company Chairman Shoichyiro Toyoda
called on automakers to make it their "mission to promote electric
vehicles throughout the world as we move toward the 2lst century, the
environmental century." They are doing just that.

This industry is charged up. New battery technology and innovative
designs are extending the driving range of electric vehicles. Volume
production will bring down costs. Meanwhile, many local governments
and utilities are putting the recharging infrastructure in place,
especially in southern California and Arizona.

In short, electric vehicles are for real and the world's leading
automakers are real about electric vehicles.