On Saturday November 6, 1999 I received a call from Chelsea Sexton of GM's Electric Vehicle Marketing Service. "What are you doing Tuesday evening?" Chelsea asked. "Taking delivery of my new Gen II EV1?" I nervously replied. Bingo! After seemingly endless delays and months of patient anticipation, the time had finally come to add a second electric car to my household! The new and drastically improved Generation II GM EV1equipped with long-range Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries was at long last available for delivery to eager customers like myself.

The lease on my first EV1, "Charge Across America's" Gen I serial #99, expires 12/4/99. Hard to believe it's been three short years since that wonderful car became a treasured member of our household. We've had a need for an additional car , and decided to lease a second EV1. Fortunately, GM will be outfitting 1997 Gen I EV1's with new advanced lead-acid batteries as the original leases expire. Those cars will be available for re-lease at a very attractive price, making it easier to afford two of these awesome vehicles.

An amazing coincidence pointed out by Tom Dowling, fellow EV1 driver from Sacramento, California, is that the serial number on my new Gen II EV1 is #198, exactly double the serial number of my original EV1, #99! Tom was in Southern California on business and happened to stop by Saturn of Airport Marina when my delivery ceremony took place.

Now that deliveries of Gen II EV1's has begun, the patience and enthusiasm of many new customers as well as repeat lessees such as myself are being rewarded with the opportunity to drive the most advanced vehicle on the road. The EV1 is THE car of the new millennium!

In February 1999, I was given the opportunity to test drive a prototype Gen II NiMH equipped EV1. Read my test drive report about the amazing advances in the Gen II EV1