Who Killed the Electric Car movie

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(brad34695 @ Jun 9 2007, 10:23 PM) [snapback]458984[/snapback]</div>

People put links to other sites in posts all the time. I really don't think it's an issue.

 

After buying my Prius, I figured I'd rent "An Inconvenient Truth" and "Who Killed The Electric Car?" to see what all the fuss is about (I bought the car more out of a dislike of big oil than the environment).

The former movie seemed only half about global warming, the other half about Al Gore, but the latter had me captivated the whole way through. It's definately one of the more fascinating documentaries I've seen and it makes you frustrated to see how American businesses operate (car companies sued California so they wouldn't have to make electric cars, big oil bought the patent on an advanced battery from GM to ensure it wouldn't make it into a car that would use less gas, etc.).

It wasn't just about GM's mistakes, however. They blame the whole automotive industry, big oil, politicians, consumers, a California clean air board and they generally give a pretty broad view of all the factors involved in the car's demise without pinning it on a single source.

It really is a must see (and it's currently available on Vongo for those who are into online movie rentals).

 

I bought two copies of each movie and currently have them passed among my co-workers that way they can see the light! the 'green' light that is.

I loved Who killed the electric car it was a great movie that I watch everyonce and a while....just because.
An Inconvenient truth was great also! it was more of a repeat of what I already was aware of.

 

My wife and I rented the electric car movie from Netflix - and thought it an excellent, if maddening, documentary. As a retired TV journalist, I was caught up in both the production and the information - while my poor wife sat there getting madder and madder as we watched. Sigh. Yep - it will get you all upset, and yep, it will make you wonder why the "first" electric car got the axe, and now GM is bringing out a "second" electric car. Wha happun??????

The Inconvenient Truth documentary was, in our humble opinion, short on relevant information and long on Gore. And that is NOT a political observation. Then again, I used to make documentaries. . .

 

I haven't checked recently, but 'who killed the electric car' was showing on STARZ OnDemand a few weeks ago. For a documentary, it's actually fairly entertaining as well as informative. The somewhat upbeat ending was also a nice touch.

What appeared to be a hidden agenda behind Bush's Hydrogen Car initiative (from a few years ago) was probably the most disturbing (and surprising) information (to me at least) in the movie. When Bush announced the $1B Hydrogen Fuel initiative in his 2003 State of the Union speech -

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/hydrogenandfue...initiative.html

I was fairly excited that America was finally going to start pursuing alternative energy technology - before it's too late. Little did I know - thanks to the movie - that the Presidents Hydrogen initiative was more than likely only political cover to let California (and other states) kill off all of the Electric Car initiatives that were starting to flourish. I should have known better.

Other observations on the movie. I was surprised that the Director didn't drive the point home that the electricity required to charge a plug-in electric car is equivalent to much less than a $1 a gallon of gas - closer to 50 cents a gallon equivalent - I believe. Everyone complains that gas costs too much when the cost (utility bill) to power an electric car is almost nothing. As talked about briefly at the end of the movie, hopefully reasonably priced plug-in hybids become widely available in not too many years. Even a battery with only a 10 mile range would make a big difference for many of us that have short daily commutes.

 

I've also got the movie in windows media format. I'd be glad to post it here somewhere for all to access if you'd like.

 

I think the movie Who Killed the Electric Car is a must see for all Prius owners. It is amazing how many things we never hear about in the news. On a side note, on the DVD there is also a video by the band Meeky Roise called 'Forever'. I had never heard of them as well. But it was quite good! Here is a link to the music video for those of you who are interested.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rangerdavid @ Jun 10 2007, 08:39 AM) [snapback]459118[/snapback]</div>

Assuming you have the permission of the copyright holder, of course.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(brad34695 @ Jun 9 2007, 08:17 PM) [snapback]458976[/snapback]</div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rangerdavid @ Jun 10 2007, 06:39 AM) [snapback]459118[/snapback]</div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(opus17 @ Jun 10 2007, 10:40 AM) [snapback]459199[/snapback]</div>

Thanks you opus17!

Please don't do this, folks. While I want everybody to see the movie, I'd like people to actually buy or rent it instead of stealing from the people who made it. This is not some deep-pockets Hollywood production - it is a shoe-string budget documentary made by people who care, and by people who have put their money where their mouths are.

There are easy ways to see this movie! All the rental places have them now. And if you desperately can't find it, and can't afford to rent it, please drop me a line.

Thanks.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Jun 13 2007, 05:27 AM) [snapback]460756[/snapback]</div>

An excellent option. My library has five copies... donated by me!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(99.9mpg @ Jun 10 2007, 11:17 AM) [snapback]459190[/snapback]</div>

It doesn't surprise me. After "Who Killed The Electric Car", people may also want to check out "The Corporation" and "Noam Chomsky: Manufacturing Consent".

They each give an interesting view of the media in different ways. "The Corporation" is probably the more interesting of the documentaries, though, and covers more than just media.

In it, they show how a Fox-related news show tried to report about the potential dangers of BGH and milk production (or something like that). I forget all the details, but essentially the story made some of Fox's sponsors angry because they thought it would hurt milk sales. The reporters were asked to doctor the story to make it appear more favorable or be fired. They stuck to their guns saying what they reported was the truth and that what they were asked to report was a lie, some executive said "We say what 'truth' is", and the reporters ended up being handed their pink slips.

A lawsuit ensued, but you'll have to rent the movie to find out what happened.

There's much more to it than that, but the point is that corporations pretty much own both our politicians and media, so it's little wonder that many Americans are blissfully ignorant of what happens in the business world.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Boulder Bum @ Jun 13 2007, 06:10 PM) [snapback]461194[/snapback]</div>

Freedom of the press is guaranteed to the man who owns the press.

 

I remember when the EV1 was around and I was interested, but it was only available in California and AZ.
initially. Around that time a new Mall was built in my area and I remember they included an EV charging bay in a portion of the parking lot. That of course, has since been removed.

An informative and interesting movie that any Prius owner should enjoy. Rented it at Blockbuster just recently.

 

We finally rented this movie from BlockBuster this past weekend, after wanting to see it for the past two months. For us, it was very "emotional" and I mean that in an angry, hateful (toward GM and others responsible) way !! :angry:
The EV-1 was a sharp looking vehicle, although only a two seater and perhaps impractical for the needs of the "minivan mom" taking 6 kids to a soccer game. As Ed Begly Jr. said, the EV-1 only meets the needs of 90% of the people, funny in a strange way, but oh so true.
As a great, real life example, my Wife drives 25 miles to work and obviously 25 miles home, 50 mile round trip a day. An EV would be perfect for her needs, that typical "daily commute". And as she usually does every few days, she stops at a grocery store on the way home for food and supplies that may, at most, add 2 miles to the round trip.
We currently have our new '07 Prius Touring (only around 1,200 miles on it to date) and our 2004 Honda CR-V. Perhaps in two years (maybe less) we will get a Toyota ELECTRIC RAV4 or some sort of PHEV "S.U.V." and trade-in the CR-V ?? Living in Florida, we can set up a solar powered charger (as I saw in a video link posted here) since we get so many sunny (and hot) days. The setup as in the video with a small solar panel over the garage would work perfect for us. It's ashame that 50% of the houses around here have solar POOL heaters and they figure "screw-it" when it come to any sort of solar "electric recharging" system, yet they complain about their high electric bills? (sorry for getting off topic!!)
But GM are a bunch of friggin' money hungry "snakes" and liars and I was mad enough after seeing the movie by Michael Moore back in 1989, Roger and Me.... now I am really angry at those G.M.S.O.B.'s :angry: !!
How WE change our thinking and our lives as the "big 3 auto. makers" changed THEIR way of doing business. Back in the 60's and early 70's I wouldn't think of buying anything BUT an "American made" vehicle.... then to find out in mid 70's they were making "American vehicles" in Brazil, Mexico, etc. That is when I bought my first "foreign" (they called 'em that back them) vehicle, a Volvo 142EA. Way ahead of it's time, in fact Volvo was ahead of the US with so many saftey features even before that. My friend's '66 Volvo 122s had seat belts and front disc brakes !!
In the 70's while Toyota, Honda, Subaru, VW, etc. were making small but roomy, and fuel efficient 4-cylinder vehicles that easily got 25+ MPG, the Biog America Auto. Makers were making thier Caddy's and Lincolns that got 10 MPG on PREMIUM only gas !!
Even after the "Arab Oil Embargo" in the 70's where I waited (only allowed on certain days of the week) to buy "limited" amounts of gasoline after waiting hours in long lines, American vehicle Manufacturers were still producing the majority of their vehicles that were wasteful, piggish, gas guzzlers........ and if they weren't, they were junkboxes like the Chevy Vega, AMC Pacer or remember that other GM fiasco, that started us all (Ralph Nader, Thanks) questioning the credibility of GM..... the Chevy Corvair ?? Unsafe at Any Speed!
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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JimN @ Jun 13 2007, 07:20 PM) [snapback]461204[/snapback]</div>

and when you trust your television
what you get is what you got
cause when they own the information, oh
they can bend it all they want

Waiting on the World to Change - John Mayer*

I Netflixed this documentary and watched it last night ... with my jaw agape. It really scraped the carpet to see W's reaction when he asked how many miles one gets on a tankful of hydrogen fuel (as an attendant was filling a hydrogen fuel concept car).

"~125 miles"

This morning I gave the dvd to my son to watch on his first day off from school; we can compare notes over dinner tonite. I think I'm going to buy a copy for my personal DVD library.

Gawd. Is it 2008 yet?

*Recently I read a Mayer blog entry on Light Green -- his solution for changing the world. It included an admission about owning a (13 mpg) Porsche SUV he uses to drive around LA thus causing me to decide to dump my tickets to see him at Camden this summer. Wreaked too much of hypocrite for me.