Chris Paine's documentary looks at the history of the electric car production from what first spurred it to the many factors that led to its death. The EV1 was a completely electric car, which ran completely clean. It's manufacturer, General Motors, pulled the entire fleet of vehicles from the market, taking them from their lessees, and destroyed them.
The film looks at many factors to why the electric vehicle died from the oil companies, the viability of battery technology, consumers, the California Clean Air Board, the hydrogen car, the U.S. government and the car companies themselves. A mandate by the California state government to have no emissions cars available forced the major auto companies to create the electric car or be pushed out of the California market. So while several car producers were making electric vehicles, they were systematically trying to kill their own product. What kind of business would want to undermine it's own advanced technology?
Paine's film goes into answering that question as well as profiling the origins of the technology, it's limitations, it's environmental advantages as well as it's cost saving advantages to its user in the long run. Or course green-minded actors were the first people to jump on the EV bandwagon. However, it was extremely difficult to get one from the car companies. Part of what the car companies claimed was that there was little demand for the cars, but the doc shows why this is both right and wrong. It's amazing to see the performance of the EV over the new hybrid, which is all the craze currently.
The real answer to who killed (and gave birth) to the electric car comes down to good ole American greed. California forced the car companies to try to build an emissions free car, but in the long run it made them more money to also try to stop it. The oil companies certainly don't want the internal combustion engine to go away. The film makes hydrogen cars look like a pipedream put out to make the car companies and the government look like they care about the environment. The most shocking revelation comes to light when one of the chief board members of the California Clean Air Board is revealed to have a conflict of interest that is scandalous at least.
Some of those who actually knew about the electric car were turned off by the length of the car's charge. However, for most day-to-day driving, it was completely adequate. Additionally, there are advanced battery technologies, which the car companies suppressed, that could have solved this problem. The price was even reasonable. (But that didn't change the problem of charging the car at home if you don't own a house.) What the film really says is that we should at least have the choice, especially when it would help the environment so much.
This is a powerful and thought-provoking film, which subtly makes us think about what American ideals have become. Profit over health is ludicrous. The environment is really the pressing issue of this generation and it will take all of us to have the will to make a difference. But when major companies destroy and suppress advanced technology we are left with less options. It's a greater scandal than the tobacco companies hiding the health effects of cigarettes, because they're choices are affecting all of us; it's not our choice to some degree. I hope the financially troubled American car companies look at the success of the Japanese hybrids and realize that doing what is right is in the best interest of your company always.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
