My husband brought in the mail on Friday night, excited about what movie might be in the Netflix envelope. He seemed little disappointed that I had added yet another documentary to our rental list! I had read good reviews and figured he’d be interested since he’s an automotive technician.
After we got the kids in bed, we sat down to watch Who Killed the Electric Car? and found it to be extremely engaging and informative! It really opened our eyes because we had never really spent much time researching alternative forms of transportation. Since my husband is a mechanic for Chrysler, I had gone online and found they had a hybrid in production, but my quest for information had stopped there.
This movie really brought home the fact that the technology for the car we need–a car with zero emissions–is available today and has been for more than 100 years. Seeing this DVD actually left me in tears, something I didn’t expect to happen with this type of documentary. The sight of the electric cars that General Motors had taken from the consumers and crushed made me want to take action. The documentary features footage of a vigil held by EV1 activists before the last 78 were destroyed by General Motors as well as multiple interviews with experts, consumer advocates, and celebrities.
We were especially interested in the fact that just about any car can be converted from gas to electric! It’s not cheap, but it’s doable! It’s something my husband could do for us if we had the extra money. I mentioned that he should learn how to do gas to electric conversions because there might be a demand here in the Orlando area. I found various books and websites dedicated to the topic, so concerned citizends certainly don’t have to sit around and wait for the automotive companies to bring back electric cars. They can convert cars themselves, buy them online, or have them converted!
The film also addresses the fact that the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle is an inferior alternative to the electric car, proving that lots of tax dollars are, in my opinion, being wasted on research and production. See the Hype about Hydrogen for more information.
Who Killed the Electric Car? is available on DVD and has been shown on PBS. Segments are available on You Tube as well. The writer and director, Chris Payne, is currently working on a sequel.
Related Links:
Plug In America (Must See)
The History of Electric Vehicles
How Stuff Works: Electric Cars
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Cool! I have been wanting to see this for awhile.
Hi, thanks for watching the film and helping to get the word out. There is indeed interest near Orlando- your husband should track down Jason Gaschel, who teaches at Seminole Community College and is incorporating EVs into their tech classes there. There is also the Florida Electric Auto Association, mainly located a bit further south, but they get around and are a fun, enthusiastic bunch who love this stuff life I do…
good luck, and thanks again!
this movie rocked, one of the most enlightening documentaries i’ve ever seen. yay for progress!
Some similarities between the oil industry and the tobacco industry: They both exploit people’s addictions (nicotine in tobacco, the convenience of gas). Also, both industries have stifled better alternatives (not smoking is healthier than smoking, not using gas pollutes less). People have successfully resisted tobacco companies…