Death of an EV
Last night I found out who killed the electric car. Summer, Anna and I biked over, and after a couple drinks at Sushi King, ran into the theater mid-previews.
The fun stuff: It’s cute watching Tom Hanks, Mel Gibson, Phyllis Diller, Ed Begley, and other famous peeps wax lyrical about the sexy efficiency of electric vehicles.
The sad stuff: We’re talking about the deadly combination of automotive and oil industry forces, governmental policies heavily influence by those forces, and, of course, consumer apathy that buys what they’re told is sexy without taking the time to do any additional research as to what effect their choices have in our world.
I have to say I found the ending — which tried to put a positive spin on things by pointing to the current rising tide of public concern about the environment — a bit abrupt. I mean, despite a serious activist front supporting EVs, car companies refused to renew leases, managed to take all of these nice cars back, and crushed ‘em.
Still, watching Who Killed the Electric Car? really made me think long and hard about the solutions that require fewer compromises with the big industries — solutions that don’t depend so much on the decisions oil and car companies.
The movie made me want to totally cut myself off the grid as a big fuck you to the oil industry. I really, really don’t wanna buy any more gas — “Not one drop,” said Summer, who watched it with me.
We’ll work on that. For now — If you’re in NYC or LA, go see the movie. If you’re not, check out when it’ll be at a theater near you. And if it’s NOT coming to a theater near you, call the theater and request it; Paul Scott, one of the interviewees for the film who’s turned guerilla marketer for it, says in some places, a single phone call has gotten the film into a local theater.
I’ve put a new sticker on my reusable mug in solidarity (previous mug shots here).
Update, 7/11/06: An ex-GM employee weighs in on the movie. Really interesting info –
Update, 7/28/06: GM takes out a Google ad that shows up whenever anyone searches for the film. The link takes you to a defensive GM page. (via grist.org)
Thanks from Florida, where we’ll get a chance to see the film next month.
We’re EVangelizing as hard as we can!
Hugh E Webber
Florida Electric Auto Association
Comment by Hugh E Webber — July 16, 2006 @ 5:42 pm
Good luck, Hugh! Hope people there flock to see the film –
Comment by Siel — July 16, 2006 @ 8:59 pm
Mmm… Good post :) Will watch your blog
Comment by microfiber — December 14, 2006 @ 1:28 am
Watched “Who Killed the Electric Car” recently (great documentary), then i heard that GM and Tesla are making another run at the electric car (yay for progress!)
Comment by patrick — February 28, 2008 @ 1:31 pm
I laugh at the fools who think they’ve learned anything by watching perhaps the most fictitious
crockumentary ever made. Lies, slanders and implausibly naiive theories are all needed to
make Chris Paine’s stupid insipid little piece of claptrap watchable for his audience of the ignorant. I would love to fire some questions at those who think they now know something about the EV-1 - for instance, did you know that its battery pack cost over $20,000 and lasted less than 5 years, making the claimed “cheap to operate” EV-1 the most expensive car, per mile, on the planet? Are you aware that a recent auto analysts survey found the EV-1 as one of the 50 the worst cars ever made? Did you know that destinations beyond 35 miles were “iffy” for the EV-1 driver? Did you know the EV-1 cost three times more to build than the far better (and environmentally better as well) Honda Civic? Did you know that Chris Paine made a backroom deal with Toyota and Honda (both of whom cancelled their electric car programs, Honda 5 years before GM did so) in order to keep their names out of the film as principal villains? Did you know that even today, no automaker is considering an electric car that looks like or contains the crappy batteries that were in the EV-1? Did you know that, in total contradiction to the film’s claims, only 50 people (out of 5000 GM customers whi originally expressed interest in the EV-1)
ever went thru and signed a lease? Did you know that never were more than 800 of the 1100 EV-1
on lease during the 6 years of its existence?
Didn’t think so. Gullible fools.
Comment by EVKing — February 28, 2008 @ 3:54 pm
Chris Paine is a snot nosed creepy little liar who amnufacturered practically every “fact” of his film. There were never more than 800 of the 110 EV-1 built on lease (so much for the “thousands” of eager leaseees claimed by Paine and his shills). Of 5000 GM customers who expressed interest in the EV-1 (Paine’s claimed “waiting list”) only 50 actually agreed to lease the car. Paine is a liar, liar, liar , and all around lowlife. Ask anyone who’s had to deal with this toad.
Comment by theGreatOne — February 28, 2008 @ 10:22 pm
Wow Kent Beuchert! Froth at the mouth much?
Nice new “handles”, btw.
Comment by i c u — February 29, 2008 @ 8:13 am