Eco Cars That Failed

These are some of the most notable eco-friendly cars that, for one reason or another, failed… or didn’t succeed. Vehicles with a good purpose, but with little luck.

The trend for eco-friendly vehicles is not as recent as it seems. There were already quite a few examples of eco cars that failed. Proposals from manufacturers or projects by pioneers who wanted to popularise the hybrid or electric car but who, for one reason or another, ended up as a sad example that, sometimes, being in the right place at the right time is fatal.

Eco Cars That Failed: GM EV-1

Its initials say it all: GM EV-1, General Motors Electric Vehicle 1, that is, the first electric car from General Motors. It is possibly one of the biggest scandals in the automotive industry or, at least, one of the cars that attracts the most conspiracy theories.

We are at the end of the last century, when wars over oil outweigh the governments’ desire to conquer territories simply to expand. The crises caused by the scarcity of “liquid gold” set the “departments of ingenious and magical solutions” to work, and General Motors decides to experiment with electricity. The GM Impact prototype emerges in 1990, an electric sports car that anticipates a change of mindset in the powerful American automotive industry.

Thus, in 1996, the GM EV-1 appears, considered to be the first electric sports car in the world.

This electric car initially had a lead-acid battery, although it was later replaced with a nickel-metal hydride one. Its theoretical range allowed it to travel, depending on the version, from almost 130 km to 225 km, partly thanks to the aerodynamic design exercise that improved its drag coefficient (Cx) of 0.19 (to give you an idea, the Tesla Model S has a 0.24 and a bus has 0.49).

This car was a rolling showcase; in fact, it was not sold but was leased to individuals or celebrities whom GM considered ideal, all of them in the California area, where it had a network of 300 chargers.

The expansion of the electric car, or at least of electrified vehicles, seemed a reality, until, suddenly and without warning, GM pulled the plug on the EV-1 for no apparent reason. So much so that the history of this car ended with more shadows than lights, as almost all the units were destroyed. Relying on the lease contract, the GM EV-1s were taken to the Arizona desert, where they were destroyed.

The GM EV-1 case reached the cinema; the film “Who Killed the Electric Car?” (2006) tells the story of the most famous of the eco cars that failed.

Eco Cars That Failed: REVA G-Wiz

The REVA G-Wiz is another modern example of failed eco cars that could have been a huge commercial hit but ended up as little more than an anecdote. This Indian vehicle was the work of a company belonging to Mahindra, the Reva Electric Car Company, also known simply as REVA.

An electric vehicle that they wanted to popularise thanks to its dimensions and price, but which ended up as little more than an anecdote. In fact, it was sold from 2001 in 26 countries, also not without difficulty, since, due to its characteristics, it was sold almost as little more than a personal mobility vehicle, or a heavy quadricycle.

There were three generations, none of which managed to take off, partly due to their price: from the 9,995 pounds sterling of the initial version sold in Great Britain to 13,000 dollars for the US. Its journey gradually faded until, in 2013, sales ceased, becoming, if not another of the eco cars that failed, another alternative that, instead of becoming popular, remained a minority option.

Eco Cars That Failed: Coda

With no other commercial distinction than the brand name, the Coda sedan was a unique electric car from California.

Besides the brevity of its commercial life, it was only manufactured for one year, and only 117 units were sold. The singular story of its conception dates back to the 1990s, but let’s get to the end: 2013, when the company Coda Automotive filed for bankruptcy and the adventure came to an end.

Years earlier, in 2004, at the Beijing Motor Show, the Hafei Saibao was presented, a vehicle made by the local manufacturer Hafei whose design was the work of Pininfarina (if you look carefully, you will see traits of some Korean car designed by the same studio).

Coda Automotive chose the Hafei Saibao as the basis for its future electric car. The most outlandish thing about this Saibao is that its chassis was based on that of the late-1990s Mitsubishi Lancer. In other words, the Coda was an electric car that was the reincarnation of another car in a previous life!

With the canvas already sketched out, the Coda had a 100 kW (130 CV) motor and a surprising torque of 300 Nm. The energy was stored in a 31 kWh battery that provided a range of just 142 km. Its high cost, 39,900 dollars, and its almost complete lack of appeal condemned the Coda sedan to obscurity and failure, turning it into one of the eco cars that failed in every sense.

Eco Cars That Failed: Fisker Karma

The Fisker Karma is the most recent example of eco cars that failed for not being able to find their place. The company was founded by Henrik Fisker, who put his surname on the company; Fisker Automotive was based in sunny California as well.

Fisker is one of the illustrious names in the automotive industry; he was responsible for the designs of, among others, the Aston Martin DB9, the V8 Vantage, and the legendary BMW Z8.

Be that as it may, in 2005 he decided to join forces with Bernhard Koehler to work on projects that would lead to the design and manufacture of a hybrid car, an eco-friendly luxury saloon.

In 2009 they announced the arrival of the Fisker Karma, a PHEV, that is, a plug-in hybrid car that was finally delayed until 2011. Software instability problems and, even more so, financial problems due to lack of investment led to production ceasing in 2012, and in 2013 Henrik Fisker himself resigned as CEO, sentencing the company to death. In 2017 the Chinese group Wanxiang Group bought the assets of Fisker with the intention of reviving the brand, the Karma, and also the manufacture of the Karma.

In total, 2,450 units of this plug-in hybrid car were manufactured and sold. The price of the Fisker Karma in Europe was set at almost 80,000 euros. It was a luxury hybrid saloon with a 2.0 petrol turbo engine and two electric units which, together, gave the Fisker Karma 408 CV of power and a pure electric-mode range of 80 km.