Who Killed The Electric Car? Don't Miss This Documentary

2012-01-26T08:25:00.000-08:00

WARNING: After watching this documentary, you will probably be outraged at all the parties involved in seeing this technologically advanced automobile and historic achievement be crushed and destroyed. This DVD was released to the home video market in November of 2006.

Who Killed The Electric Car? This is a documentary film that explores the limited commercialization, and subsequent destruction of the electric vehicle in the United States the 1990's, specifically GM's EV1.

This film explores the role of the automobile manufacturers, the U.S. government, the oil industry, the California government, batteries, hydrogen vehicles, and consumers in limiting the development and adoption of this technology.

This film mostly focuses on GM's EV1, which was made available for lease in Southern California, after the California Air Resources Board passed the ZEV mandate in 1990, as well as the implications of the events depicted for air pollution, environmentalism, Middle East politics, and global warming.

The film details the California Air Resources Board reversal of the mandate after lawsuits from automobile manufacturers, the oil industry, and the George W Bush administration. It points out that Bush's chief influences Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice, and Andrew Card, all are former executives and board members of oil and auto companies. The EV1 was eliminated from the GM line in 1999.

A large part of the film details GM's efforts to demonstrate to California that their was no demand for this product, and then take back every EV1 and destroy it. A few were disabled and given to universities and museums, but almost all were found to be crushed. GM never responded to EV1 drivers offer to pay the residual lease value (1.8 million was offered for the remaining 78 cars in Burbank before they were crushed). Activists are shown being arrested in the protest that attempted to block the GM car carriers taking the remaining EV1's to be crushed.

The film also explores some of the reasons that the auto and oil companies worked to kill off the electric car. Wally Rippel is shown explaining that the oil companies were afraid of losing trillions of dollars in potential profits from their transportation fuel monopoly over the coming decades, and GM was afraid of the losses over the next six months of EV1 production. Others explained things differently. GM spokesman Dave Barthmuss argued it was lack of consumer interest due to the maximum range of 80-100 miles per charge, and the relatively high price for the car.

The film also shows the failed attempts by car enthusiasts trying to stop the cancellation of the EV1 and the surviving vehicles. Towards the end of the film, an EV1 car #99 was discovered in the garage of the Petersen Automotive Museum located at 6060 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, with it's former owner invited for a visit.

The film also explores the future of automotive technologies, including a deeply critical look at hydrogen vehicles, and an upbeat discussion of the plug-in hydrogen electric vehicle. At the end, mention of an upcoming sequel "Revenge of the Electric Car."

This documentary film also has interviews with celebrities who drove the EV1 such as Mel Gibson, Tom Hanks, Alexandra Paul, Peter Horton, Ed Bagley, Jr., and also has commentary by prominent political people such as Ralph Nader, Frank Gaffney, Alan Lloyd, Jim Boyd, Alan Lowenthal, S David Freeman, and ex-CIA head James Woolsey. Plus you will see news footage development, launch and marketing of the EV1. The film also features some of the engineers and technicians who led the development of modern electric cars and related technologies.

This documentary film was written and directed by Chris Payne, and produced by Jessie Deeter. The film suggest that GM did not immediately channel it's technological progress with the EV1 into other projects following it's cancellation, instead letting in languish while focusing on more immediate profitable enterprises such as the SUV's. In one interview, the film mentioned that only by government legislation, automakers began incorporating important safety and emission innovations such as seat belts, airbags, and catalytic converters.

Though GM cited cost as a deterrent to continuing the EV1, critics argue that the costs of the batteries and electric vehicles would have been reduced significantly if mass production had begun, due to economies of scales. Plus it was discovered that GM, perhaps on purpose, put the cheaper batteries in the EV1, which greatly limited their range, when better batteries were available.

You will also see footage shot at the meetings of the California Air Resources Board, headed by Alan Lloyd, which caved to industry pressure and repealed the ZEV mandate. You will see how proponents of the electric car were shut down, while the auto makers were given all the time they wanted to make their case.

Want To Know The Worst thing GM Did?

When the leases were up on the EV1, GM would not let the owners buy the cars. GM refused. Instead they picked up the cars in the owners driveway, and took them to junk yards and crushed and shredded them. Perfectly good cars. Brilliant huh? Great business huh? A car company who didn't want to sell a product. A car company who could of had millions of dollars extra. Like I said. Brilliant.

Film reviews for "Who Killed the Electric Cars" are as follows:

The New York Times: "A story Mr. Payne tells with bite. In 1996 an L.A. newspaper reported that the air board grew doubtful about the willingness of consumers to accept the cars, which carry steep price tags, but have limited travel range. Mr Payne pushes beyond this report, suggesting that one reason the board might have grown doubtful was because its chairman at the time, Alan Lloyd, had joined the California fuel Cell Partnership".

The Hollywood Reporter: "A particularly articulate and colorful bunch of non-celebrity talking heads, including former Jimmy Carter energy advisor S David Freeman and Bill Reinert, the straight shooting national manager of advanced technologies for Toyota, who doesn't sing the praises of the much touted hydrogen fuel-cell, the lively film maintains its challenging pace".

Film Threat review from the Sundance Film Festival: "Like most documentaries, 'Who Killed the Electric Car?' works best when it sticks to the facts. Showing us the details of the California Air Resources Board caving in to the automakers and repealing their 1990 Zero Emissions Mandate, for example, is much more effective than coverage of some goofy mock funeral for the EV1 with Ed Begley Jr., providing the eulogy".

OC Weekly: "As most of the lazy media, prodded by the shameless oil men in the White House, spin their wheels over false solutions like hybrids, bio-diesels, hydrogen, ethanol, and Anwar, Korthof and his all-electric army continue to boost EV technology."

This documentary also includes an interview with EV activist Doug Korthof, who says, "We don't deserve the catastrophe in Iraq, and the two mad men arguing over oil supply lines seem intent on martyrdom for Iraq in a widening war. With EV, we need not get involved in seizing and defending the oil supplies of the Mideast. And we don't need to maintain fleets and bombs to incarcerate people we can't stand, and give foreign aid to oily dictators, and so on. It's not anything to laugh at."

"Who Killed the Electric Car?" won the 2006 Mountain Film Special Jury Prize the Canberra International Film Festival Audience Award, and also nominated for Best Documentary in 2006 Environmental Media Awards, Best Documentary in Writers Guild of America, and the 2007 Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Documentary Feature.

Who Killed the Electric Car? official website.

Looking back, Toyota introduced the Hybrid in 1997. And of course, battery technology played a key role in the development of this car. Since GM dropped the EV1and the technology to pursue more profitable ventures with apparently no regard for their future, most would agree that was a bad decision. Auto executives are probably college educated, with auto training background one would assume. These are the same people who drove GM to total collapse, and in turn, had to come crawling to the U.S. government for a bailout, which they did. Most would agree this could be viewed as perpetuating incompetence.

Don't miss seeing this documentary. I highly recommend it. I hope everyone can buy and watch this film. It's not just good, in my opinion, it's great. You will probably watch this over and over. I know I do. Thanks for stopping by my little blog. all the best.