Does anyone else remember when GM had built an electric car (the EV1) that people wanted to buy
Not only do I remember, I got to drive one!
GM was doing promotional tours of college campus back in the 90s, and they brought a handful of EV1s to Caltech and parked them by the Red Door, and then put out clipboards where you could sign up for a test drive. I was 19.
There was a GM rep in the passenger seat. I got in and told him I was going to pull out kind of quick to see what it could do, and he smiled and said go for it so I hit the pedal and spun the tires until it started to drift sideways. There was smoke. It was awesome.
That low-end torque stomp from a silent electric engine has echoed in my memory through every other car I've owned. Even the V6 Audi I used to own couldn't compete with that feeling. Nothing matched it until... I bought an all-electric Nissan Leaf. The 2011/12 Leafs, in particular, are known for front wheel tire spin. Starting in 2013 Nissan turned down the power delivery curve to make them a little more manageable for city driving. Pansies.