Who Killed the Electric Car?

Though rather clumsily organized and technically primitive, this environmentally friendly documentary has a significant point to make. Who Killed the Electric Car? begins with a history lesson, informing us that in the early 20th century, electric cars were actually preferred to gasoline-operated ones; unfortunately, that quickly changed, with the cars disappearing from the American market until the 1980s, when questions about oil supply led General Motors to produce and market the EV1 electric car in a limited lease-only program. Before long, however, the company not only discontinued the model but reclaimed all of the cars and destroyed them. Writer-director Chris Paine attempts to assess the actual viability of the project through interviews with political figures, the division's sales staff, environmental activists, industry writers, and drivers, while also recounting the ultimately futile efforts of supporters to save the car and apportioning blame for its demise. Special emphasis is placed on a California initiative to compel carmakers to meet zero emissions standards on a percentage of their fleet—a directive that was derailed by corporate pressure and political shenanigans. As to the “verdicts” parceled out at the close, the film convincingly suggests that the demise of the EV1 resulted from something far more sinister than natural market forces. A salutary warning about backroom skullduggery in corporate America, this is recommended. [Note: DVD extras include 10 deleted scenes (19 min.), a 15-minute “Jump-Starting the Future” PSA on electric cars, the music video “Forever” by Meeky Rosie, and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a thought-provoking documentary.] (F. Swietek)