Plug 'er In

DETROIT: General Motors this fall will become the first domestic automaker to mass-market an electric car. GM president Jack Smith unveiled the two-seater EV-1 Thursday at the Los Angeles Auto show. Detroit bureau chief William McWhirter reports that the EV-1 is an update of the Impact prototype that has been in development for the past decade: "This is not so much a technological breakthrough as it is a political coup by Jack Smith that caught the entire industry off guard. It may be a sign that GM is ready to shake off some of its marketing slumber of the past four years and is ready to aggressively take on industry leaders such as Chrysler." With a limited range of under 90 miles, the car is still a long way from being a practical vehicle for the long-distance drives in the California market. It's main purpose, McWhirter notes, is as a public relations vehicle. "Most of the anti-Detroit sentiment is focused in California, where they view American cars as polluting and inefficient. So this zero-emissions car will gain GM points."