[fsh]

The EV-1 was launched with lead-acid batteries and later upgraded to NiMH. It would still not be possible to make a practial BEV with these battery chemistries. The breakthrough came through the microelectronics industry producing billions of cheap devices with lithium ion batteries in them.

[gnfargbl]

The EPA range of the NiMH EV-1 was 105 miles. That was, and is, sufficient for a good proportion of real-world use cases.

If the EV-1 had been allowed to succeed, who says we wouldn't have had lithium batteries sooner?

[cucumber3732842]

It's sufficient in the same way 1991 Ford Escort that needs every fluid checked every gas stop is "sufficient" for most commuting in the present day.

Just because you can make it work with a lot of care doesn't mean that most consumers don't want more.

[necovek]

With so many discharge/recharge cycles common for a 105-mile range vehicle, how long would that NiMH battery last?

[rcxdude]

It's not obvious it would have succeeded, whatever meddling occurred. It's all a bit speculative.

[Wolfenstein98k]

Who didn't allow it to succeed?

[wpm]

Lithium ion batteries existed in the 90s and were being explored for BEV use by Nissan in 1996. They were already fairly ubiquitous in consumer electronics, at least high end ones, at the time the EV-1 was killed.

GM just tapped out too early because despite the cars being incredibly popular, they didn't want the short-term hit to the books that a niche product full of brand new technology represents.