On this day in 1996, General Motors (GM) announced their first electric car, the EV1 at an Auto show in Los Angeles. They announced the car would be released to the public for sale in the fall of 1996.

Since electric cars have been around before GM’s EV1, their car isn’t an entirely new concept. The Columbia Runabout was considered a best selling car in the early 20th century since it could travel 40 miles on a single electric charge at a speed of 15 mph.

The oil crisis of the 1970s caused much corruption in the automobile industry. There was an environmental movement, arguing for cars using an alternative fuel (not gas). The movement led to a renewed interest in electric vehicles, although no automaker was able to develop a mass appeal for the idea.

The EV1 was available to consumers in only 2 states in 1996 (Arizona and California) for lease-only. GM considered the development of electric vehicle technology to be ongoing. From 1996 to 1999, around 2,500 EV1s were produced.

By 2008, GM had been affected by a global economic crisis and declining auto sales. They needed a multi-billion dollar loan from the federal government in order to stay in business. In March 2009, the company filed for bankruptcy under the Obama Administration. The company was criticized by other auto companies for continuing to focus on its sport-utility vehicles and small trucks despite a high growing consumer demand for smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles.