Biography

Was hired by General Motors at the age of 17 after buying her first Saturn, and later became part of the GM team to promote the EV1 electric car in 1996. She was laid off in December 2001 when the company dropped its support of the car.

Organized several grass roots advocacy groups, such as Plug In America, to advocate electric car technology to auto manufacturers.

In 2005, Chelsea joined the X-PRIZE Foundation and manages an alternative fuel division for the Santa Monica based start-up Zag.com. She also serves as the Executive Director of Plug In America, a coalition of individuals and organizations that advocates for the preservation and manufacture of plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and electric vehicles.

[on who killed the electric car] "No single snowflake in an avalanche feels responsible... It's a matter of a confluence of events and people, industries and companies acting in their own best interests and people not asking enough questions. Also there was a certain amount of complacency. I don't have just one suspect."

It isn't about telling everyone they have to drive electric cars and I would never tell a Hummer driver he doesn't have that choice. How much of a hypocrite would that make me?

[on life as an environmental activist] "There are certainly nerve-racking moments. There are times when folks come to my husband and tell him his wife needs to be more careful. That's when I wonder if I'm doing the right thing for my family. There are times when you're the only one sitting on the street in front of a GM facility at 3 o'clock in the morning in the pouring rain, depressing as hell and you wonder if this will ever succeed. You ask yourself: 'Is it worth it?'"