Who Killed the Electric Car? (2006)

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.

Director:

Chris Paine

Writer:

Chris Paine

Stars:

Martin Sheen, Tom Hanks, Mel Gibson

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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.)
Mel Gibson	...	Himself
Greg Hanssen	...	Himself

Storyline

With gasoline prices approaching $4/gallon, fossil fuel shortages, unrest in oil producing regions around the globe and mainstream consumer adoption and adoption of the hybrid electric car (more than 140,000 Prius' sold this year), this story couldn't be more relevant or important. The foremost goal in making this movie is to educate and enlighten audiences with the story of this car, its place in history and in the larger story of our car culture and how it enables our continuing addiction to foreign oil. This is an important film with an important message that not only calls to task the officials who squelched the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate, but all of the other accomplices, government, the car companies, Big Oil, even Eco-darling Hydrogen as well as consumers, who turned their backs on the car and embrace embracing instead the SUV. Our documentary investigates the death and resurrection of the electric car, as well as the role of renewable energy and sustainable living in our ...

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Plot Keywords:

car | technology | california | reference to ralph nader | u.s. president | 

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Taglines:

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.

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Genres:

Documentary

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for brief mild language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 August 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Qui a tué la voiture électrique?

Filming Locations:

Willow Springs International Motorsports Park, Rosamond, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$45,138 (USA) (30 June 2006)

Gross:

$1,677,838 (USA) (10 November 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Plinyminor, Electric Entertainment, Papercut Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Did You Know?

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).

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Quotes

David Freeman: The oil industry and the automobile companies are resistant to change. The American people need to be reminded that it took a law to get seatbelts in the cars. It took a law to get airbags in the cars. It took a law to get the mileage up from 12 to 20 miles per gallon. It took a law to get catalytic converters to control the pollution. And i think clean cars are too important to be left to the automobile industry.

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Connections

Features ABC World News Tonight with David Muir (1953)

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Soundtracks

Who Knows
Written by Marlon Black
Performed by Marlon Black
Courtesy of Capsoul Records
By Arrangement with Bank Robber Music

User Reviews

See it and believe it

Director Chris Paine is no dummy. As a onetime owner of an electric car (the EV1) and a savvy filmmaker, he has quadruple checked his facts—and they are alarming. Although the electric car obviously depends upon coal or oil for its power, electricity is far cleaner than gasoline in the long run with less carbon output. Additionally, the batteries are recyclable, and electric cars make fewer demands in other environmental ways: There are no oil changes, oil filters, spark plugs and other parts and services that conventional autos require. Each of these parts carries its own environmental cost.

See this film. It has nothing to do with the current price of gas and everything to do with corruption on many levels.