Review: “Who Killed the Electric Car?”

07/23/2006

by Scott Hollis | July 21, 2006

SONY PICTURES CLASSICS/MATT BOHLING

Considering that gas prices are $3 a gallon or more, plus an unstable Middle East, aren’t you ready for a car that’s clean, quiet and doesn’t need gas?

Such cars do exist, but according to a new documentary film, you won’t be driving one now or anytime soon. Who Killed the Electric Car? chronicles the recent history of battery-electric cars, especially General Motors’ EV1. The movie goes through the early history of electric cars (in the early 1900s, there were more electric cars than gas cars), to the development of the EV1, to the California mandate that required an increasing percent of all cars sold in the state to have zero tailpipe emissions.

At first, automakers created electric vehicles to comply with the mandate. But then something odd happened — California dropped the mandate after rising pressure from the automakers and the federal government, even as eager drivers joined long waiting lists to lease electric cars.

How could this have happened? To answer this question, the documentary focuses mostly on the EV1 and those who leased this fun, fast and gas-free car. It’s a feel-good story up until GM’s recall and subsequent destruction of the EV1 fleet.

GM cited lack of consumer interest as its reason for the recall, though Who Killed the Electric Car? presents a number of compelling theories about its demise: Automakers and the auto parts industry stood to lose billions in revenue for parts and maintenance; oil companies were concerned their monopoly on fuel was in jeopardy; ineffective leadership dissolved California’s electric car mandate; politicians sided with corporate interests; and the EV1 never gained consumer acceptance. In the end, the blame is spread among all these groups.

But this documentary is not only about the electric car — it is also a statement about Americans’ transportation choices and how industries and governments manipulate them. And even though the electric cars have been defeated for now, the documentary ends with good news: Recent advancements in batteries, gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles and plug-in hybrids are driving significant change in our transportation options.

Who Killed the Electric Car? is already showing in select cities nationwide and continues to open elsewhere throughout the summer. To learn more about electric cars and see if the film is showing in your area, visit: http://www.whokilledtheelectriccar.com.