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

4 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 | electric car | technology | california | big oil | 

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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:

Who Killed the Electric Car?

Filming Locations:

Willow Springs International Motorsports Park, Rosamond, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$45,138, 2 July 2006

Gross USA:

$1,678,874

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,764,304

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

Eric Garcetti: I was an EV1 driver, still am, from 1998 until December of this year when GM will have to pry it out of my charger's dead cold hands.

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Connections

Followed by Revenge of the Electric Car (2011)

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Soundtracks

Electro Transport
Written and Produced by James Lumb / Electric Skychurch
Courtesy of Lumpy Spacetime Music

User Reviews

In response to "Likely Explanations.....

As a former engineer with both GM and Ford, I have to thoroughly refute what a previous commenter has stated about likely explanations. With the technology of the powertrain/fuel source development that far along, that far advanced within a viable vehicle, crash-safety and equipment regulations would not have removed this from the marketplace. The "skin" and tub/framework of the vehicle would have been either reworked to comply or the powertrain/fuel source would have been adapted to fit existing car lines that meet crash-safety and equipment regulations. There are plenty of examples of "hurry up" retro-fits in Detroit/Dearborn's history. Unfortunately there is much documented history of technology being quashed, patents being bought and buried, innovations left by the wayside to discourage change, discourage having to retool, reinvent, reinvest...and if you don't think that auto/oil/gov are all complicit in this, how naive can one be? GM and the railroads, the Tucker, fuel injection, Wankel engine, anti-lock brakes...all quashed by powerful companies and people not wanting change no matter what the benefit would be in safety, society, or the environment.