hyland,+Electric+car

Who Killed the Electric Car? Released: 2006 Writer / Director: Chris Paine

This is good movie-making: The history of the EV1 (1st half) is followed by answering the question: who killed the electric car by going through the “suspects” one-by-one.

In 1990, California Air Resources Board (CARB) mandated that 10% of vehicles sold in California be zero emissions. GM had a research vehicle ready, called the Impact. They decided to sell it through their Saturn division, naming it the EV1. GM hated the California (CARB) mandate, but decided to comply, thinking the EV1 would never catch on with consumers because of its driving range. (As Ed Begley, Jr. said in the film: It only meets the needs of 90% of Americans.) But it did. So they thought something else other than the consumer would kill it.

When that didn’t happen, GM probably was not sure what to do immediately. The movie explores all the “Suspects” GM might have wanted to kill the car, several of whom they helped kill the call. It is a nuanced story as to why GM would kill something with such a bright future that a significant minority of consumers loved, waited for, and fought for GM certainly played their role. They refused to mass-market the EV1. They refused to mass-produce them. (Four were made by hand each day.)

But essentially a successful EV1 would have been too cannibalistic for them. If the EV1 was so good and clean and efficient and decreased our reliance on foreign oil...well it would become obvious that their cash cow (high profit) cars did not. GM killed the electric car. One month after GM purchased Hummer, it closed its EV1 production plant. EV1 profits could have been huge in the future, but they were not big enough right then and there.

Anyone would enjoy this film. One of the best parts of it is the reminder that those who claim it’s about the free market are disingenuous or naïve about the huge, huge, role the government plays to support the oil industry – led by their government insider cronies. Wally E: Rippel (“Research Engineer, AeroVironment”) says in the film: “I want to see everything given a level, equal chance. The thing that bothers me is that it is not given a level, equal chance. We’re using the military to ensure the flow of oil. We’re using our tax dollars to support the car companies in various ways. What we’re not doing is using our tax dollars to do the things we need to do to prepare for the future. (Enormous tax credits were given to buy gas-guzzling SUVs by the Bush administration.) Furthermore, the film points out those US car manufacturers haven’t done anything we’re behind as consumers without laws: CAFE mileage standards, seat belts, air bags.

To aid in the demise, the oil companies bought the leading battery technology companies (like they did trolley companies in the past) — to metaphorically “crush” them — just like the car companies literally crushed the cars. In April 2003 California killed its electric car mandate. This decision was largely influenced not just by oil companies, but hydrogen fuel cell companies — who also convinced the Bush administration to abandon today’s technology for much more dangerous, expensive, and unknown technology of the distant future.

I learned about the history of the electric car in the US: · The very first cars were actual electric. (Phyllis Diller remembers them in the film.) · This 1968 Time Magazine article describes a great race across the country featuring an electric car made from CalTech and one from MIT: [] · The head of the TVA was promoting the electric car in the 1970s. The TVA produces electricity, it does not sell oil. But he discovered he really do it because there were no in the showrooms for people to buy.

I learned that the cost of running an electric car is the same as running an internal combustion gasoline car, if gas cost $.60 / gallon. But that is also a shortcoming of the film: Based on 2006 electricity prices – where? And compared to a gasoline car that gets what mileage?

Also missing from the film are more details about the total environmental impact: why / how they are better for the environment even considering most of us get our electricity from coal-powered plants. The film does not mention other toxic metals that are likely included in the batteries that may not be present is such large amounts in internal combustion engine cars. Who killed the electric car? I believe it was dim-witted GM executives (who required a massive government bailout soon after that) greatly aided by the oil companies with their friends in high places in the Bush administration.

Seeking out additional information: I want to know what is the current status, production numbers, and sales demand of the Nissan Volt and Tesla. What has changed at GM to allow them to introduce the Volt? The follow-up documentary: Revenge of the Electric Car’s website has excellent news about electric cars: [] I also found out that no one can reserve an electric Nissan Leaf at this time, and why: []