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Perhaps you heard the news that vintage electric vehicle enthusiasts are restoring an abandoned General Motors EV1 recovered from a tow yard. The vehicle was listed as derelict and sported signs of neglect and abuse, but still sold for a whopping $104,000 for reasons that will soon make sense. It’s all because the EV1 was ahead of its time, and we’ve previously debunked many myths surrounding this vehicle. That story is well worth a read no matter your preference in automotive propulsion, as the EV1 was the tip of the EV iceberg we see in today’s society.
Finding an example that survived GM’s purge after the mandatory lease expired is akin to finding another example of Ford’s 999 race car, or unearthing a long-lost 1936 Toyoda Model AA. Any vehicle with the EV1’s unrealized potential and storied past appeals to a subset of enthusiasts who revel in restorations and historical recollections. That’s why Hagerty was proud to speak to Billy Caruso, the new owner of EV1 serial number 212. He’s partnering with Jared Pink, the owner of the YouTube channel Questionable Garage, to both restore #212 and document the process.
The pairing of these two folks for this EV’s restoration wasn’t intentional, at least initially. Questionable Garage planned on buying this EV1 at auction, but the bidding went past his intended budget. Pink reached out to Rich Benoit of the Rich Rebuilds channel, but this duo’s hopes were also dashed as the bidding caught fire. Thankfully, the Classic EV world is a small one, and Jared knew the EV1’s rightful new owner. VIN #212 was purchased by Billy Caruso, who agreed to collaborate with Questionable Garage to make the restoration of a forgotten icon into a reality.
This is where General Motors comes into play, as the automaker responsible for the EV1’s revolutionary birth and tragic cancellation is now embracing its electron-laden past. Both Questionable Garage and Caruso were given the opportunity of a lifetime, visiting GM’s Technical Center and interviewing GM President Mark Reuss, who is taking a personal interest in the restoration. In this interview by Questionable Garage, Reuss confessed to his fascination with the EV1, believing its powertrain, aerodynamics, and driving dynamics were a foundation for their modern lineup.
Caruso told Hagerty that his “heart was filled with joy” upon learning about the impending partnership with GM for the restoration of #212. Having support and access to the remains of EV1 made him “double down on the importance of this project, and made me realize I am now a part of the story.”
And that’s not hyperbole, as future updates on Questionable Garage’s YouTube channel document how GM staff are helping with both parts and support, most notably in the donation of a replacement windshield, sourced from an EV1 parts car in their inventory of historical vehicles. While there’s more to the partnership than just one piece of unobtainium glass, it’s worth a closer look at the two key stakeholders who will be providing updates on the restoration process.
Billy Caruso, EV1 #212 owner and Classic EV Curator
Billy Caruso
Billy Caruso
Caruso grew up immersed in technology and with a love of Apple products, graduating from MIT with a degree in computer science and engineering. His passions ultimately earned him a spot at Apple, and he’s worked on famous projects like Siri and AirPods. But Caruso, a New Jersey native, always loved electric cars and never forgot his passion for them in his formative years, stating, “I used to google how to buy an electric car growing up, and the only real option seemed like a Zap Xebra.”
True to form, Caruso’s first car was a Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD. It was lost when another Tesla t-boned him in 2019. While he could have easily bought another, we now see his classic car enthusiast bent come to fruition. In January 2020, he purchased a non-functional 1994 Geo Prizm EV, a conversion made by US Electricar. He proudly states this was his first project car, and his restorative tasks included replacing the lead-acid batteries and potentiometers to get it moving again. In three months, the Prizm was roadworthy.
This success became the start of something special, as Caruso found “non-operational EVs from the ’90s for affordable prices, and invested in new batteries to get them back on the road.” He states this was only possible because of his residence in California; the state has a comparatively heavy concentration of these otherwise-scarce early EVs. He quickly upgraded to a 2000 Solectria Force (based on a Geo Metro). That upgrade got him about 40 miles of range, but the next acquisition was a 2002 Toyota RAV 4 EV with double the range. He’s been able to upgrade the RAV4 EV to lithium batteries, while also leasing a Chevrolet Bolt for a modern daily driver.
Geo Prizm EV (US Electricar)Craigslist (via Barnfinds)
Solectria Force EVSolectria Corporation
Toyota RAV4 EVWikipedia | Mariordo – Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz
Chevy S-10 EVChevrolet
The RAV4 EV restoration was something of a revelation, as its lithium upgrade was implemented on his next classic, a Chevrolet S10 EV. This is where Caruso’s passion for old cars rivals that of folks with gasoline in their veins: He began purchasing vehicles for a dedicated collection.
1994 US Electricar Geo Prizm
1994 US Electricar Chevrolet S10
1994 AC Propulsion Saturn SC1
Solectria Force (multiple years, including 1992, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000)
1996 Solectria E10
1997 General Motors EV1 #212
1997 Chevrolet S10 Electric
1998 Chevrolet S10 Electric
2002 Toyota RAV4 EV
Caruso wants to take the collection to its next logical level by creating a museum space to both display these vintage EVs and to explain their historical significance. His vision is being manifested as the California Electric Vehicle Museum, or “Project Cal EV” for short. The collection isn’t terribly straightforward to repair when something fails; Caruso says “the technology is older, the communities are niche, and the knowledge is disappearing.”
To say Caruso has electrons in his veins is likely an understatement. His purchase of EV1 #212 was a once-in-a-lifetime shot to own the EV of his dreams, and he has no regrets and feels blessed for this opportunity. This EV1’s story has a new chapter thanks to his efforts, and his cohorts at Questionable Garage have become stronger friends in their quest to get this car running again.
His plans for the restored, completed EV1 is simple: add it to the collection, drive it up and down Skyline Boulevard (CA-35), and ensure it attends car shows around the country. Caruso’s passion is clear, and General Motors’ involvement is likely to be priceless.
Jared Pink, Questionable Garage
Jared Pink | X
Jared Pink of the Questionable Garage YouTube channel is a tinkerer at heart, cutting his teeth on everything from broken lawn mowers to his first car, a 1977 Chevrolet Monte Carlo that he campaigned at his local race track. Pink’s hobby became a career with Toyota, and he became one of the brand’s youngest ever Master Diagnostic Technicians. But he moved back into the performance world, managing a shop that specialized in both Toyota’s Supra and Nissan’s GT-R.
Pink eventually found his way into creating content on YouTube, and has been doing it full-time since 2019. True to the name of his channel, his “questionable garage” has included vehicles like a restomod International Harvester, a 1985 Honda Accord stretch limousine, a 1994 Lexus SC300 with a 1000-horsepower LS engine, and a 2008 Dodge Charger with a UTE body conversion and a 1000-horsepower Hellcat Redeye with a six-speed swap.
Clearly, he understands delightfully questionable automotive decisions, but Pink met Caruso when they crossed paths on a 1997 Chevrolet S-10 EV. Pink states that he “loves everything automotive, from loud and fast to obscure glimpses into automotive history.” After purchasing his S-10 EV from Facebook Marketplace, Caruso’s past experience was a big help for his YouTube content.
The opportunity to restore a GM EV1 is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Pink. His disappointment from being outbid in the auction “shifted to joy” upon learning that Billy was its new owner. The transfer of ownership was also a watershed moment for him.
“From the first step of getting it out of the tow pound on that rainy morning, to the trips to the ‘EV1 Warehouse,’ it has been so electrifying to be a part of it. At first there was a little bit of concern if the paperwork was legal [because of the complexities of having been previously donated to a learning institution rather than bought by a private party], but we did talk about the fear of what GM might do about it.
The mechanical process of taking the car apart was straightforward. It has been fun seeing how much of the car is ‘normal’, right alongside the crazy, almost prototype parts of the car. During each wrenching session, we discussed how to solve a major hurdle: locating a brake torque controller, and how to rebuild and repair the junction box from water damage. I don’t think we ever let ourselves believe how impossible the task was in front of us.”
His interactions with General Motors are both impressive and worthy of envy for anyone else restoring a classic vehicle with a dearth of replacement or reproduction parts.
“After first contact, and confirming that GM was in fact friendly, it’s been fantastic. So many of the impossible problems we faced were now solved. Seeing this level of commitment from an OEM feels unprecedented. From the goal of making a quirky old electric car work again, and sharing as much as possible, to the huge level of press and coverage beyond just the channel also transforms the build process. As it continues to build, it almost replaces a lot of the stress of finding parts, and replaces it with the millions of eyes anticipating finishing the restoration.
We always have had the goal of completing the build for the 30th anniversary, but now, we are really going to do it. For years, GM was the sole steward of the EV1 story. It was this closed chapter, something that started and ended with them.”
Pink states that GM has given them access to engineering staff, parts and their historical archives to help this car come back to life. He sees how the EV1 is now a direct connection to GM’s current lineup of electric vehicles.
We’ve seen this in subsequent updates on Questionable Garage’s YouTube channel, most notably in the replacement windshield sourced from a parts EV1 in GM’s cache of historical vehicles. He feels that this level of access from a company like GM is “honestly kind of unbelievable.”
Starting An EV1 Renaissance?
Chelsea Sexton hugs Paul Scott during a vigil held outside of the GM Training Center on Riverside Dr. in Burbank, protesting GM’s plans to crush around 70 EV1 electric vehicles that are currently located in the parking lot at the Training Center. Sexton and Scott are 2 of the organizers for the vigil that started back on February 16 and has been held every day since, 24 hours a day.Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag
As you may already know, not every EV1 met its untimely death at the hands of a previous regime. A handful were donated to learning institutions, and that’s what happened with EV1 #212, which spent most of its life at Clark Atlanta University. We reported on a red EV1 sitting in an unknown garage in Atlanta back in December 2019, and yours truly found one at Kettering University back in 2008. (The image of that little blue coupe hiding in a dark corner haunts me to this day.)
But the green #212 is special, because of its new home and support from the automaker that once abandoned it. Caruso made a website to archive its story for everyone to see when the vehicle is completed. He also made a dedicated archive for all EV1s, complete with a specifications section that rivals the configurators you see for new cars on OEM websites. Even if you don’t get to see #212 when it hits the road on its own power, Caruso has got you covered.
But it’d be nice if the EV1’s reincarnation didn’t end with #212. If I had the resources of General Motors, I’d sweet-talk my dealership network into buying all remaining EV1s, using #212 as a template to sell/title them as a used car. GM is no stranger to licensed reproduction parts, and a little input from Pink and Caruso could help the last units become roadworthy even quicker. Units that are not water-damaged (#212 sat outside with that busted windshield) will have an easier path to restoration, and a combination of earned knowledge from #212’s restoration and the small but loyal S-10 EV community could put any remaining EV1 back on the road with modest effort.
That’s admittedly a lot of risk for not much reward. But if there’s ever one GM product that deserved such an effort, it’s the one that started a modern automotive revolution.
