Who Killed the Electric Car? (2006)

Director:

Chris Paine

Writer:

Chris Paine (writer)

Release Date:

4 August 2006 (UK)

Genre:

Documentary

Tagline:

In 1996, electric cars began to appear on roads all over California. They were quiet and fast, produced no exhaust and ran without gasoline...........Ten years later, these cars were destroyed.

Plot:

A documentary that investigates the birth and death of the electric car, as well as the role of renewable energy and sustainable living in the future.

Plot Keywords:

Question In Title | Oil Industry | Corporate Greed | Conspiracy | Environmentalism

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Martin Sheen	...	Narrator (voice)
Reverend Gadget	...	Himself (as Greg 'Gadget' Abbott)
Dave Barthmuss	...	Himself
Ed Begley Jr.	...	Himself
Jim Boyd	...	Himself
Alec N. Brooks	...	Himself
Alan Cocconi	...	Himself
John R. Dabels	...	Himself
Phyllis Diller	...	Herself
Colette Divine	...	Herself
Tom Everhart	...	Himself
David Freeman	...	Himself (as S. David Freeman)
Frank Gaffney	...	Himself (as Frank J. Gaffney Jr.)
Marc Geller	...	Himself
Mel Gibson	...	Himself

MPAA:

Rated PG for brief mild language.

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:PG | UK:U (uncut) | Australia:PG | UK:U | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Willow Springs International Motorsports Park, Rosamond, California, USA

Company:

Plinyminor

Trivia:

The boxy, small EV shown being crushed in the movie was the Honda EV-Plus. They, like the sleek GM EV-1, were only available for lease; several returned to Honda, and were converted into fuel cell demonstration vehicles. For a while, you were able to lease them through EV Rentals (at several Budget Rent a Car locations).

Quotes:

Narrator: A fuel cell car, powered by hydrogen made with electricity, uses three to four times more energy than a car powered by batteries.

Movie Connections:

References "Batman" (1966)

Soundtrack:

Nothing To Lose

"I can't believe I cried over a car"

I just saw this at the festival. Wow. What an awesome film (and soundtrack)!! This isn't just a film about a car, it's film about us, but more than that, it's an uplifting film about us. Most documentaries make me want to jump off a bridge after I leave the theater, but this one gave me hope. In the pre-hybrid days, the EV1 fully electric car was released by GM in the 1990s with great fanfare and hubris from Roger Smith (yes, the same Roger Smith as "Roger & Me".) It caught on quickly with consumers and gave GM a 3 year technological head start over the other manufactures. GM, however, had inadvertently built a car that required no gas, no oil, and no replacement parts. If they'd stayed the course, GM would be where Toyota is today with the Prius, but with no gas required. But they, and a host of others, chose a different course. This films chronicles the struggle of the dedicated EV drivers (men and women, everyday folks) who decided to take a stand. A stand against who? A stand against auto manufacturers, big oil, the federal government, the state of California, and ultimately their fellow consumers. If one person can make a difference, wait until you see what a growing coalition of one-persons can do (and are doing)! Be afraid, Goliath, be very afraid. As one girl in the audience put it, "I can't believe I cried over a car...twice."