1997 wave of electric vehicles

In 1967, California Air Resources Board (CARB) was established with the aim to reduce air pollution. In 1990, CARB established a groundbreaking environmental regulation: the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate. The mandate required that 2% of the new vehicles sold in California have to be zero-emission vehicles by 1998, increasing to 5% by 2001 and 10% by 2003. It was an ambitious plan.

Chrysler (Dodge, Plymouth), General Motors (Chevrolet), Ford, Toyota, Honda and Nissan started to develop electric vehicles. The wave of extremely expensive electric cars arrived in 1997.

**Dodge Caravan TEVan Electric** (Chrysler built approx. 50 units of these in 1993-1995)

**General Motors EV1** (more than 1000 units built in 1996-1999)

**Toyota RAV4 EV** (almost 2000 units made in 1997-2003)

**Ford Ranger EV** (approx. 1500 units made in 1997-2002)

**Chevrolet S-10 EV** (General Motors built almost 500 units of these in 1997-1998)

**Honda EV Plus** (more than 300 units were built in 1997-1999)

**Dodge Caravan EPIC / Plymouth Voyager EPIC** (a few hundred units were built by Chrysler in 1997-2003)

**Nissan Altra EV** (approx. 200 units were built in 1998-2002)

In total, approximately 6000 electric cars were made by all the manufacturers combined. As a result of lawsuits, California had to cancel the zero emission vehicle mandate ZEV-90. Automakers recalled most of the electric cars and destroyed them.

Out of Spec made a video where it is possible to see the electric Dodge Caravan, Toyota RAV4, Ford Ranger and Chevrolet S-10: