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I looked forward to viewing this film as I am interested in vehicles and the possibilities of electric vehicles. While this “documentary” was well made, it presented no opposing viewpoints, nor did it offer much in the way of real information.The points presented were contradictory to say the least. The film continually makes the statement that so many people wanted an electric car that there was a waiting list of 4000 people.
4000? In the whole country?Then goes on to accuse GM of scaring people away by their advertisements- while interviewing the marketing director who says he was accused of doing too good a job.
Then there is a scene which asks “Who killed the electric car?” Answer: Consumers!
Well which is it?The oil companies are also accused but not one shred of evidence is shown- not an email, an interview, a memo- nothing.
The film manages to gloss over the poor range of somewhere between 50 to 80 miles by having Tom Hanks (the actor) saying “..it takes me everywhere I want to go..”
Gee, what about people who work for a living?Then there was the charging dilemma. The car required a special hook up- which okay you could have installed in your house but what about work? It takes hours to charge.
GM is then accused of only allowing leasing the cars- so presumably they could demand them back and get them out of the marketplace- (a marketplace GM created solely on its own!)- but no mention is made of the COST of the car (reportedly somewhere between $50,000- $75,000). GM leased the cars to make them affordable - $250-$500 a month; then when the lease was up actually had the nerve to ask for them back.
Finally it appears the “huge demand” for the EV was about 78 people in Los Angeles, most of whom were celebrities. Where was the huge demand? The film never interviewed a single person who wanted one that didn’t already have one.
So what is the point of the movie? GM invented the car and put it on the road before anyone required it. Only after the car was introduced did the California Air Resources Boards suddenly demand that 10% of cars sold in that state should be zero emissions- then a few years later rescinded it leaving electric vehicles in limbo.
It appears no one wanted the electric car that’s who killed it.
Music is Emotion
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It's all Clinton's fault!!!!
Seems like every public building in CA has a couple of those special EV Recharging Stations that probably cost taxpayers $100K each to install.BTW, I recall reading that several EVs caught fire while charging and burned down their owners' homes. Did the movie mention that?
They DO need another ten or more years before it becomes practical.
As we are maybe 50 years away from no more oil, and if some experts are right in claiming that Middle Eastern deposits are theoretical and have never actually been discovered, it could be a lot closer than that, what other fuel source would be feasible... wind power? Because, if so, this may be the LA Freeway in 2106
I don't think they specifically blamed consumers- they were listed in the many categories that case built to map out the cars unfortunate demise. Many, many factors were listed. I found that enlightening and thought provoking.If I remember correctly- The EV had a range of 60 miles per charging. That's not a bad range- for Tom Hanks or myself - and from what the documentary stated, a new improved battery with a longer range was finished and available..
According the documentary - One of the reasons the EV hadn't really caught on, was a lack of advertising. I don't dispute that. If they can sell Hummers -they can sure as hell sell EV's
I seem to remember in the last stages of the Clinton administration he suggested giving preferred parking to electric cars. Wow, now that's a motivator! All that went out the window, with the EV, during the present shameful Bush administration .I enjoyed the documentary and thought it presented a sound case without juvenile tactics that sometimes appear in liberal minded films. (Michael Moore stuff, Grass etc )
Two things are certain - one is that the future belongs to electrical vehicles.And two - that they are so far from being ready for prime time that they have no chance in the marketplace today.
They WILL become viable alternatives once the battery technology makes a 10x improvement, which might be another ten or twenty years.
Only then people will start buying them.
Today you can get **claimed** range of over 200 miles for Tesla Roadster, but that is a small car, and there are lot of stretches in the way they spec that range.
When it gets into 200-300 miles range for a four passenger sedan, then we shall talk.
Ah... and the third element... REGARDLESS of battery storage, charging WILL remain an issue, as your typical household line will take looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong time to replenish the charge.
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