Weber_Who+Killed+The+Electric+Car?


 * Ashley Weber, Annotation #9, Date: 11/7/10 **
 * Who Killed The Electric Car? **

The documentary Who Killed The Electric Car? was directed by Chris Paine and released in 2006.
 * Film, Director, Release Year **

This film investigates the history of the automobile focusing on the creation and then demise of the electric car in the United States. In 1990, the CARB ZEV program was put into effect to reduce air pollution in California causing automakers to design battery powered cars. The film focuses primarily on General Motors and their creation of the EV1 vehicle that was produced and leased from 1996-1999 then all vehicles were taken back and crushed because according to car companies, there was no longer a demand for such type of vehicle. The film suggests that consumers, car companies, the California Air Resources Board, the promotion of hydrogen fuel cells, and the government all played a role in the electric car’s extinction.
 * What is the central argument or narrative of the film? **

-A major sustainability problem present in this film deals with the implementation of new technology into society. The electric vehicle was a radically new product with nothing like it before. Most consumers like to be fully informed prior to purchasing a high priced product like a vehicle, let alone one without the use of gasoline which had been the sole form of power in their lifetimes. The limited amount of time that this product was on the market didn’t give consumers enough time to try and adapt to the new technology and many struggled with the lack of information and commercialization provided.
 * What sustainability problems does the film draw out? **

- Pressure and improper use of power was an issue presented in this film. The California Resource Board’s implementation of the ZEV mandate and later reversal also contributed to decrease the demand of this vehicle. CARB was the reason this vehicle was created and then pressure from the outside companies was more than it could handle to stand its ground. In the final hearing that would determine the future of this vehicle, the head of CARB gave automakers as much time as they needed to present their points while he limited the pro battery car side time to two minutes.

-Pressure by automotive manufacturers, the oil industry, and government also played a major role in the demise of the EV. GM tries to convince California that there was no longer enough consumer demand for the product, when people were asking for the product. Throughout the film a major sustainability problem existed in GM sabotaging their own product program. The company failed to produce cars to meet existing demand. The fact that they would only lease EV’s and not sell them directly allowed the company to have complete control over what was present on the road ways and what wasn’t. Lastly, the government provided a lot of pressure and focus on the future of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles rather than supporting the use of electric vehicles. This alternative really shifted the car industry and legislation to ignore the potential of electric vehicles.

One compelling part of the film was when they got footage of the electric vehicles being crushed when the car manufacturing companies denied that it was happening. This film was very effective in providing many different view and reasons for the death of the electric car providing reasons for all. It was very persuasive of the true dedication and loyalty people had towards the EV when the film showed the protesters waiting outside the location of all the collected EV cars waiting to be destroyed taking shifts to watch over the sight and several being arrested later on. It was also very interesting watching the car advertisements at the time go from promoting the electric vehicle as the new item to have to showing gas guzzler such as the Hummer commercial passing by the EV. Lastly, it was extremely compelling to actually witness the footage in the courtroom showing the unequal playing field provided to one side over another when presenting their cases.
 * What parts of the film did you find most persuasive and compelling? Why?**

Although the film was able to speak with one representative of GM, I would have liked to hear more from the car companies’ side. Although the lack of information these companies were willing to provide, does contribute to compelling viewers that they are hiding information or realize they are wrong in not addressing the issue. The only major point in the movie I questioned dealt with the demand of the EV. The main EV activist claimed they had developed a rather lengthy list of people who signed a wait list saying they were all interested in leasing the car at the time the supply was low. When the GM spokesman was interviewed, he mentioned that a lot of the people asked to be removed from the list when it actually came to leasing the vehicle. It would be interesting to know how accurate this information was.
 * What parts of the film were you not compelled or convinced by? Why?**

I felt this film is very informative to current college age students who weren’t at the time old enough to really understand or be aware of the electric car beginning and end. This film really explains how close our country was to changing the car industry for the better. With the current push for more environmentally sustainable products and lifestyles, people in their mid twenties are the ones who can start implementing change in industries. Being a member of this select audience, I was really ignorant to a lot of the details of how the EV died so suddenly. This film also would be informative to people who aren’t specifically from California or the west coast where the rise of these vehicles to place.
 * What audiences does the film best address? Why?**

This film was informative about providing a brief history of the electric vehicle and how it had died once before. However, there was little information presented in the film about scientific information relating to the electric vehicles that were produced. It would have been nice to know more details on the technology used to make an electric vehicle compared to a regular vehicle. Also, more statistics electric batteries and this source of power compared to gasoline. I believe these are also the same questions that many people probably had questions about during the ‘EV’ era that weren’t answered or provided enough information about that would make it easier to understand the new technology introduced at the time.
 * What could have been added to this film to enhance its environmental educational value?**

This film provides several suggestions for facing these sustainability issues. Do it yourself conversion to electric powered vehicles is on option presented as well as neighborhood e-cars. The activists and protests held in support of the vehicle were also actions demonstrated. They may not have been completely successful in saving the electric car, but they challenged the car industry’s power of controlling which cars are on the market and not, by no letting them do it without a fight. I also think that these people who were dedicated and love with this vehicle at that time will provide a boost to the electric car industry when the new cars come back to life within this next year. With the rise of environmental education and demand, it will be hard for the electric car to come back and die without harder fight. Now, you will have two generations of people in support, the previous EV generation and the new young generation. One interesting example of action was the activists holding the staged EV funeral.
 * What kinds of action and points of intervention are suggested by the film? If the film itself does**
 * not suggest corrective action, describe actions that you can imagine being effective.**

After watching this movie, I later saw a new Nissan commercial on television. It was a moving advertisement for their new 100% electric vehicle called the Nissan Leaf that will hit markets hopefully by the end of 2011. Below is the link for the commercial. []
 * What additional information has this film compelled you to seek out? (Provide at least two supporting references.) **

I researched a little more about this car and found out that it is being priced very competitively with other vehicles such as a Honda Civic and Toyota Prius hybrids. The price is also reduced by the federal tax credits and some rebates that states are offering for the purchase of the EV. []

I found another article, where the state of Oregon received a $2 million federal grant to install up to 24 EV fast charge stations in. Over 700 Oregonians have sent in deposits for the Nissan Leaf. The article explains that most of the original plug in chargers range of about 100 miles caused drivers to hesitant to use them for longer distances. However, “The fast chargers, complementing a network of [|1,100 slower Level 2 chargers planned for Oregon], are designed to eliminate so-called range anxiety that motorists can feel as their batteries run down.”

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