Review of Who Killed the Electric Car? (2006) by Jeremy F — 13 Feb 2008

The tagline is,.

"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.".

And so it goes as Martin Sheen narrates a documentary investigating the birth and death of the electric car and the role of renewable energy and sustainable living in the future. I like watching documentaries even taking the risk that I know I will get the political/moral/social/religious view of the directors and writers. The premise of this documentary is simple. Gasoline prices are approaching $4/gallon. There are fossil fuel shortages, unrest in oil producing regions around the globe and mainstream consumer adoption of the hybrid electric car. This story is very relevant for us. The goal in making this movie was to educate and enlighten audiences with the story of the electric car and its place in history. But more than that it was about our car culture and how it enables our continuing dependence foreign oil. The message is important and it takes to task the officials who put down the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate and all of the other parties involved (government, the car companies, oil companies, consumers) who turned their backs on the EV and embraced the SUV.

You get a dose of global-warming junk science at the beginning but it's bearable given the more verifiable issues of air pollution and its negative effects (especially in LA). There are guest appearances from Tom Hanks, Ed Begley, Jr., Mel Gibson and even the I-Can't-Believe-She's-Alive, Phyllis Diller and all either activists or former drivers of EV1s.

The writer plays it out like a murder mystery with the slate of likely suspects mentioned above. Everybody interviewed from LA to Detroit has a story or alibi and you are left scratching your head and asking, "How did this happen?" Well done and worth a viewing.

Director: Chris Pane; Writer: Chris Pane; Cast: David Freeman, Mel Gibson, Phyllis Diller, Tom Hanks.