In Q1 2025, General Motors nearly doubled its EV sales compared to the same period last year, securing the spot as the second-largest EV seller in the U.S.
But GM’s electric ambitions stretch back over 50 years, well before the Chevrolet Volt or even the EV1. One forgotten gem? The adorable 1969 XP 512E concept car.
Unveiled at GM’s “Progress of Power” exhibition in Warren, Michigan, the 512 Electric Experimental (512E) was a tiny two-seater with futuristic touches. It featured a 52-inch wheelbase, fiberglass body, and weighed just 1,250 pounds.
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Powered by an 84-volt lead acid battery and a rear-mounted DC motor, it offered a modest 58-mile range at 25 mph, with a top speed of 30 mph and 0–30 acceleration in 12 seconds—not built for speed, but packed with charm.
Charged via a standard 115V household outlet in about 7 hours, the 512E came with practical accessories like a heater, lights, wipers, turn signals, and even an ashtray.
Entry was through a front door and pivoting canopy top, which could be removed for an open-air drive, giving the 512E a unique convertible look.
It was part of a trio of “city cars” shown in 1969, alongside a gasoline model with a 12-hp engine and a plug-in hybrid capable of 150 miles on just three gallons of gas.
Though never commercialized, the 512E was an early taste of GM’s vision for urban EV mobility—decades before the mainstream caught up.
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