who killed the electric car? pt2

Posted by: Matt McCormick | From: July 14, 2006

I was very lucky to attend a sneak preview of Chris Paine's new documentary Who Killed the Electric Car at the Hollywood Theatre here in Portland Wednesday night. Chris was there and led a very interesting question and answer session to a capacity audience, and there were information booths and interesting presentations being offered by The Sierra Club, the Portland Electric Car community, and other like-minded groups. The film is very good, and I highly recommend seeing it. General Motors, on the other hand, really doesn't want you to see it, and are going to some pretty interesting extremes to try to silence the film.

(Chris Paine answering questions at the Hollywood Theatre)

"Who Killed the Electric Car" is an important, energetic expose of the short lived existence of the EV1: an all-electric, zero emissions automobile designed and manufactured by General Motors in the late 90s in an attempt to meet the State of California's "Zero Percent Emissions" mandate. The EV1 was a sporty, battery-powered car that, by most accounts, seemed like a very big step towards moving the auto industry away from the gasoline powered internal combustion engine. The car had a small but enthusiastic following, and was driven and highly endorsed by many celebrities including Tom Hanks and Mel Gibson (who, by the way, was sporting a very freaky beard in his interview). But after a few years of tests and redesigns, GM unexpectedly pulled the plug on the electric car project, and instead decided to team up with other car manufacturers and the oil industry to sue the State of California in an attempt to block the Zero Percent Emissions Mandate. But beyond just political pressure, GM decided to completely bury the idea of the EV1 all together, so they rounded up the existing cars and had them destroyed. Many of those who had been leasing the cars objected, and even offered to purchase the cars for sums of money far greater than their sticker price, but GM declined.

"Who Killed the Electric Car?" does a compelling job of investigating the mysterious rise and fall of the electric car, but what makes the film more interesting is it's examination of how corporate interests and politics ping-pong back and forth in ways that have nothing to do with what is best for the public good. From the oil industry to auto manufacturers, the film dissects just how much profit there is to be gained by doing nothing, and details the extents to which these companies will go to protect themselves. The film features many interesting interviews, from celebrity EV1 lovers to car engineers who worked on the project. But perhaps the most interesting interview was that of S. David Freeman, who worked in both the Nixon and Carter administrations and was the key advisor on Jimmy Carter's energy policy. Freeman brought up the point which myself and many others have been pointing out recently: that the questions and discussions surrounding current environmental and energy problems are nearly identical to those that were being discussed in the 70s, and the reason why we are still having these problems is because the solutions proposed then were ignored in favor of easier, more profitable short cuts. He emphasized that big corporations are not going to do anything that isn't profitable unless it is a law, and reminds us the auto industry fought tooth and nail against laws requiring seat belts, pollution controls like catalytic converters, and air bags.

(members of Portland's electric car community showed up in force to display their home made electric cars)

Had the electric car program continued and the Zero Percent Emissions mandate not been toppled by lawsuits, there would be an estimated 1 million electric cars on the roads of California today. Even on the average US power grid (which derives 55% of it's energy from burning coal), the electric car is about 55% cleaner than standard gas burning cars. Couple the electric car with an energy grid powered by renewable energy sources like wind, hydro, and solar, and suddenly you have truly zero-emissions vehicle.

"Who Killed the Electric Car" has been getting very little attention from the mainstream media, which is very troubling but not surprising, seeing that the advertising dollars from the auto industry is the single largest source of ad revenue for network television. It is also interesting to note GMs response to the film. For one, you can't do a Google search on the film's title or any of the main names associated with the film without the search results being topped by a sponsored link from GM stating "learn what really happened to GMs electric car program..." GM has also taken out several advertisements criticizing the film and filmmakers, including a two page spread in the film industry mag Variety, perhaps to either sway movie critics or intimidate the many media outlets that are hooked on GMs advertising dollars. But perhaps even more intriguing is GMs 10 million dollar donation to the Smithsonian Institute, which was shortly followed by the Smithsonian removing their EV1 from display in the transportation hall of the Museum of American History- one week before the film opened in New York and Los Angeles.

GO SEE THIS FILM! THE TICKET SALES AND BOX OFFICE NUMBERS WILL PLAY A HUGE ROLE IN HOW WIDELY THIS FILM GETS DISTRIBUTED AND PUBLICIZED. STRONG TICKET SALES WILL ALSO ENSURE FILMS SUCH AS THIS WILL CONTINUE TO BE MADE AND DISTRIBUTED. GO SEE THIS MOVIE AND BRING YOUR FRIENDS, PLEASE!

(UrHo representatives at the premiere screening of Who Killed The Electric Car?)

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