Who killed the electric car ?

[The Lawspeaker]

Who Killed the Electric Car? (http://video.google.nl/videoplay?docid=1405611374523233913&ei=XPYlSoymGYrr-Ab4j5W4CQ&q=Who+killed+the+electric+car%3F+&emb=1) is a 2006 documentary film that explores the creation, limited commercialization, and subsequent destruction of the battery electric vehicle in the United States, specifically the General Motors EV1 of the 1990s. The film explores the roles of automobile manufacturers, the oil industry, the US government, the Californian government, batteries, hydrogen vehicles, and consumers in limiting the development and adoption of this technology.
It was released on DVD to the home video market on November 14, 2006 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
During an interview with CBS News, director Chris Paine announced that he would be making a sequel: Who Saved the Electric Car? [1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Killed_the_Electric_Car%3F#cite_note-0), later renamed Revenge of the Electric Car.





A murder mystery, a call to arms and an effective inducement to rage, Who Killed the Electric Car? is the latest and one of the more successful additions to the growing ranks of issue-oriented documentaries.
- The New York Times



1405611374523233913

[Tabiti]

Who Killed the Electric Car?
Petroleum and its derivatives producers;)

[Treffie]

To be honest with you guys, I don't think that it's a conspiracy at all - by introducing the electric car, too many people would have too much to lose.

[Útrám]

No mystery here, just competition which the oil giants couldn't afford.

[Amarantine]

Chinese still working on their model of el car.

[Skandi]

When they make one that can go 600 miles on a charge with 4 people and luggage and can be recharged in 5 mins then I will consider buying one, until then it is only practical for people who can afford two cars.

An interesting point though is the revenue that the government makes on petrol, if we all swapped to electric they would have to tax the electric to a similar level, and that would penalise everybody, even those who do not run a car.

[Tabiti]

Chinese still working on their model of el car.
Is it going to have remote control, MP3, 9 megapixel camera, alarm with different sounds (polyphonic or choose your favorite song), changing panels (over 50 different colours)? :D

[Phlegethon]

When they make one that can go 600 miles on a charge with 4 people and luggage and can be recharged in 5 mins then I will consider buying one

If it can be recharged in 5 minutes it really does not have to go 600 miles on a charge.


until then it is only practical for people who can afford two cars.

It would be perfectly fine for me, as I do not live in the boonies and very seldom drive long distances.


An interesting point though is the revenue that the government makes on petrol, if we all swapped to electric they would have to tax the electric to a similar level, and that would penalise everybody, even those who do not run a car.

Electricity is already taxed and it is a totally unrealistic idea that everyone would swap their cars for electric ones. Most folks won't be able to afford that, basically because there would not be any used electric cars.

[Skandi]

If it can be recharged in 5 minutes it really does not have to go 600 miles on a charge.


true but I don't want to stop every 50 miles to charge it. I often travel 550miles in one go and I only have to stop for fuel once. I also have the least efficient car going so I expect others would manage without stopping.


Electricity is already taxed and it is a totally unrealistic idea that everyone would swap their cars for electric ones. Most folks won't be able to afford that, basically because there would not be any used electric cars.
Here electric tax is 5% fuel tax is about 70% that makes one hell of a difference to the price. Your quite right that people would not swap straight away, but in the end it would be forced through, at present we do not have enough power stations to run all our cars on electric anyway, so it is impossible to do it today.

[Amarantine]

Is it going to have remote control, MP3, 9 megapixel camera, alarm with different sounds (polyphonic or choose your favorite song), changing panels (over 50 different colours)? :D

No idea indeed darkhaired Pontid:wink. They kept those info as top secret:D

[SwordoftheVistula]

It's really not practical until the battery technology improves and is made cheaper, as it is now they cost at least 2-3 times a gas powered car of similar speed and comfort.


An interesting point though is the revenue that the government makes on petrol, if we all swapped to electric they would have to tax the electric to a similar level, and that would penalise everybody, even those who do not run a car.

They've solved that one already: my state and a couple others want to put transponders on every car, and charge a tax based on mileage driven. 'Of course' they wouldn't track and monitor where the vehicle goes they say... :rolleyes:

[Lahtari]

Who killed the electric car?

THE STONECUTTERS!! :rolleyes: ;)

eQ-KZyniB4c"Who holds back the electric car?
Who makes Steve Guttenberg a star?
WE DO!
WE DO!"

:cool:

[Revenant]

GM killed the EV1 at birth, it was only ever available on lease to start with.

GM should have kept developing it in the mean time but I doubt it would have been much different to the Volt by now. They did have a great alternative around 2000 with the Eco-Commodore that was a hybrid and certainly had potential. It might not have been any good for the North American market though.

The problem is many of these projects are ahead of their time and have no market, if they can't sell them then there's no incentive to produce them or keep developing them.