Who Killed the Electric Car?
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Chris Paine
Martin Sheen
Dave Barthmuss
Jim Boyd
Alec N Brooks
Alan Cocconi
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
The year is 1990. California is in a pollution crisis. Smog threatens public health. Desperate for a solution, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) targets the source of its problem: auto exhaust. Inspired by a recent announcement from General Motors about an electric vehicle prototype, the Zero Emissions Mandate (ZEV) is born. It required 2% of new vehicles sold in California to be emission-free by 1998, 10% by 2003. It is the most radical smog-fighting mandate since the catalytic converter. With a jump on the competition thanks to it speed-record-breaking electric concept car, GM launches its EV1 electric vehicle in 1996. It was a revolutionary modern car, requiring no gas, no oil changes, no mufflers, and rare brake maintenance (a billion-dollar industry unto itself). A typical maintenance checkup for the EV1 consisted of replenishing the windshield washer fluid and a tire rotation. But the fanfare surrounding the EV1's launch disappeared and the cars followed. Was it lack of consumer demand as carmakers claimed, or were other persuasive forces at work? Fast forward to 6 years later--the fleet is gone. EV charging stations dot the California landscape like tombstones, collecting dust and spider webs. How could this happen? Did anyone bother to examine the evidence? Yes, in fact, someone did. And it was murder.
Director
Chris Paine
Cast
Martin Sheen
Dave Barthmuss
Jim Boyd
Alec N Brooks
Alan Cocconi
John R Dabels
Phyllis Diller
Colette Divine
Tom Everhart
S David Freeman
Frank J Gaffney Jr.
Mel Gibson
Greg Hanssen
Peter Horton
Doug Korthof
Alan C Lloyd
Alan Lowenthal
Edward H Murphy
Ralph Nader
Dan Neil
Linda Nicholes
Iris Ovshinsky
Stanford Ovshinsky
Alexandra Paul
Bill Reinert
Wally Rippel
Paul Roberts
Joseph J Romm
Paul Scott
Chelsea Sexton
Jananne Sharpless
J Karen Thomas
John R Wallace
James Woolsey
Bill Wylam
Crew
Peter Afterman
Natalie Artin
Michael Brook
Jessie Deeter
Dean Devlin
Alex Gibney
Jerry Gilbert
Michael Kovalenko
Alex Lamm
Rachel Olschan
Chris Paine
Kearie Peak
Chris A. Peterson
Jim Ridgley
Marc Roskin
Jayme Roy
Sheraz Sadiq
Jeff Steele
Bill Stefanacci
Richard D. Titus
Tavin Marin Titus
Thaddeus Wadleigh
Kathy Weiss
Margaret Yen
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Miscellaneous Notes
Released in United States 2006
Released in United States January 2006
Released in United States on Video November 14, 2006
Released in United States September 2006
Released in United States Summer June 28, 2006
Shown at Deauville Festival of American Cinema (Uncle Sam's Docs) September 1-10, 2006.
Shown at San Francisco International Film Festival (Documentaries) April 20-May 4, 2006.
Shown at the Seattle International Film Festival (Documentary Films) May 25-June 18, 2006.
Released in United States 2006 (Shown at San Francisco International Film Festival (Documentaries) April 20-May 4, 2006.)
Released in United States 2006 (Shown at the Seattle International Film Festival (Documentary Films) May 25-June 18, 2006.)
Released in United States January 2006 (Shown at Sundance Film Festival (Spectrum) January 19-29, 2006.)
Released in United States Summer June 28, 2006
Released in United States September 2006 (Shown at Deauville Festival of American Cinema (Uncle Sam's Docs) September 1-10, 2006.)
Released in United States on Video November 14, 2006
