Who Killed the Electric Car?

EV Small Talk
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Who Killed the Electric Car? Movie review -

I just watched the movie on DVD Who Killed the Electric Car? This film was fantastic. Martin Sheens voice grabs the audience as he navigates you through the film about how the electric car has been suppressed by big money. Chelsea Sexton former EV-1 Salesperson is truly the movies emotional anchor. You get emotionally attached to here passion and life with the EV-1. The filmmaker did a nice job of migrating through the story thru here eyes.

The filmmaker Chris Paine had really done his research to pull in all the video footage from allot of events, especially the ev1 incident.

The second impression was this thing is not going to die no matter how big oil money wants it to. The electric car is going to be back and back in a big way. We want change but we are just too busy to see how to change.

The third was that it didn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that environmental innovation was being squashed by big Oil. This is the movies biggest theme since the average moviegoer can grasp this reality.

Though the movie didn’t go into in great detail on how electricity is created. Electricity does not grow on trees and how to create electricity to meet our current demand in an environmentally conscious way. (Wind, water, solar, biofuels etc.)

I wanted to watch more. I just couldn’t get enough of the film. I needed more. I was so excited after we wanted to see the movie again.

I could go on and on. No Matter your current feelings about issues such as electric vehicles, Oil, Global warming, Foreign dependence, green fuel etc… I think this movie is a great step in the progression of education about electric vehicles and how we all as can do our part in whatever way to grow and learn how to be more efficient minded.

Don’t take my work for it just Go rent Who Killed the Electric Car? You wont be disappointed.
5 Star

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yea it was a fantastic movie, and it really shows off how stupid the average person is… like those people they interviewed (humvee owner and the mom with the kids running all over the place)

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The greatest is when a celebrity pulls up to the red carpet in a RAV-4 EV or a Prius and then flys from LA to New York in their private jet. :eek: If you want to lessen your carbon footprint… share a plane with 400 other people.

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The realities of our society are such that if a “star” is not seen using something it will not become mainstream. This is why so many companies give stuff to “stars”. The logic being that if the public sees our product being used by “stars” we will sell more.

Even if these “stars” are towing the electric car to within blocks of the photo op with a monster truck, it is better for all of us in the long run. The sooner the general public accepts electric cars, the betteroff we all are. Think about when compact cars first came out. Everybody just looked at them and said “I would not drive such a tiny thing”. Now the average car (not suvs) is about that size. If these “stars” can get a significant portion of the public thinking about electric cars as a viable alternative, that is far more important than how much carbon that “star” uses. Unfortunately in this case perception is far more important than reality.

Lazlow

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[QUOTE=Lazlow;285]The realities of our society are such that if a “star” is not seen using something it will not become mainstream. This is why so many companies give stuff to “stars”. The logic being that if the public sees our product being used by “stars” we will sell more.

Even if these “stars” are towing the electric car to within blocks of the photo op with a monster truck, it is better for all of us in the long run. The sooner the general public accepts electric cars, the betteroff we all are. Think about when compact cars first came out. Everybody just looked at them and said “I would not drive such a tiny thing”. Now the average car (not suvs) is about that size. If these “stars” can get a significant portion of the public thinking about electric cars as a viable alternative, that is far more important than how much carbon that “star” uses. Unfortunately in this case perception is far more important than reality.

Lazlow[/QUOTE]

I couldn’t agree more… but as soon as the range is increased and the usability (recharging) is easier (gas stations) then i can definately see these really getting a jump start over gas cars…

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[QUOTE=FEUS;287]I couldn’t agree more… but as soon as the range is increased and the usability (recharging) is easier (gas stations) then i can definately see these really getting a jump start over gas cars…[/QUOTE]

Well, range is not a problem as it has been in the past but the major problem now is trying to figure out how to get range without increasing the costs. The further you want to go, the better your battery has to be. Tesla knew this and flew with it but unfortunately no one in the general public has the $98,000.00 to shell out for such a vehicle. There are other routes though where one doesn’t have to entirely depend on the battery it’s self to go long distances and still not be a hybrid but rather a totally electric vehicle.

On the subject of Who Killed the Electric Car, I have to say it’s a wonderful movie/documentary that should spark more interest in the electric vehicles that are available and the ones that are to come.

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Lstockman

I will defend Tesla on this for two reasons:

  1. What is the price of any other car that can do 0-60 in 4 seconds?

  2. Starting at the high end brings development too. The developments made for high end cars trickle down to the general person’s car. Think about air bags, radial tires, heated seats, etc, they all started out on high end models. Now relatively modest cars come with a lot of them.

As far as someplace to charge, have you seen all these places that Rvs park? Almost all of them have 220v 80 amp plugins.

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I agree with Laz

Most if not ALL of the highest polluting vehicles are in the luxury or high performance category. The econoboxes get the best gas mileage. If Tesla can get those people (they know who they are) to believe in and purchase electric cars it would start a “trend”. God knows I hate trendy things and trendy folks, but this is where I believe that being trendy has merit. Just watch a hip hop or rap video. Count the Hummers and Escalades. Do you think they seek those vehicles out because they use A LOT of gas or because they cost a lot of money and therefore act as status symbols? It’s about time a company made an electric vehicle that SAYS cool, not smart. It just so happens to also be smart in this case, REALLY smart. Just don’t tell the SUV buying sheep. They wouldn’t want people to start thinking they have brains.

Cheers.

Insane Diego (Rollin’ in his Yugo with Ostrich feather headliner sittin’ on 26s yo. Cuz it’s blingin’ and smart to boot! WORD!)

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[QUOTE=Lazlow;325]Lstockman

I will defend Tesla on this for two reasons:

  1. What is the price of any other car that can do 0-60 in 4 seconds?

  2. Starting at the high end brings development too. The developments made for high end cars trickle down to the general person’s car. Think about air bags, radial tires, heated seats, etc, they all started out on high end models. Now relatively modest cars come with a lot of them.

As far as someplace to charge, have you seen all these places that Rvs park? Almost all of them have 220v 80 amp plugins.[/QUOTE]

Don’t get me wrong as I’m not saying that Tesla is not the answer as it very much is for those who are able to afford high end motor vehicles and this is a great alternative that fits a nitch market. What I’m implying is those who are not in that nitch who would need something a little less on the wallet while still producing enough speed for highway use while retaining distance of at least 100 miles.

Tesla is laying the ground work for many of us and for that I thank them wholeheartedly. Now that it’s been done, it’s time for that trickle down process to start and I don’t believe one would have to wait the five year cycle it takes from high-end.

We also have vehicles that fit another nitch which is the city commuter but that’s not for everyone either. I’m focusing more on the middle area where the midsized car comes in but I will not imply that the other two are by any means less of cars as they do well for what they’re intended.

As for the charging, it’s possible to do anywhere that one has an electrical outlet of 120v but people don’t always look at it that way either and this where I just wanted to present another side of the coin, nothing more. I’m for electric all the way; make no mistake about that and I want people to see the positives of these vehicles or I wouldn’t be building one. We just need to get people to realize that special converters in their garage isn’t needed anymore as it can be contain within the car rather than outside.

Please don’t take offense in anything that I say as I’m with you guys on making an EV world.

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You are aware of another of Tesla’s projects (whitestar?)?

The really strange part about the range argument is that something like 85% of people do not exceed 100 miles per day on a regular basis. If we could get a production vehicle into the mid to upper teens with a 100 mile range(in reality), I think it would sell very fast. I would drive one and for the few times a year that I need to go over 100 miles in a day I would rent (I do this now when I need a pickup).

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[QUOTE=Lazlow;331]You are aware of another of Tesla’s projects (whitestar?)?

The really strange part about the range argument is that something like 85% of people do not exceed 100 miles per day on a regular basis. If we could get a production vehicle into the mid to upper teens with a 100 mile range(in reality), I think it would sell very fast. I would drive one and for the few times a year that I need to go over 100 miles in a day I would rent (I do this now when I need a pickup).[/QUOTE]

Absolutely but why should they have all the fun :smiley: Most people don’t drive more than 100 miles per day, I unfortunately drive about 100 miles per day to get to work and then back home and thank goodness I’m moving within 15 miles of my workplace which only makes sense.

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[QUOTE=lscrx;280]The greatest is when a celebrity pulls up to the red carpet in a RAV-4 EV or a Prius and then flys from LA to New York in their private jet. :eek: If you want to lessen your carbon footprint… share a plane with 400 other people.[/QUOTE]

Getting off topic a bit, some of these celebrities have been killed by stalkers. The private planes are not necessarily a luxury.

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Ok guys there is one reason and ONE reason only that the tesla costs so much money. The answer is a number (no its not 42)

6,831

Know what that is? Thats the result of Chevron buying and sitting on the patent for the only currently tried and true VIABLE battery tech for EV’s

Thats how many CONSUMER lithium battery cells Tesla had to use to make there car work. Nearly 7 thousand freaking batteries!!!

Do the math. Imagine the consquences and you will QUICKLY see why this car costs that much money.

GM had a battery that could take a car over 100 miles for $4500

THERE cost to build this car ? $80,000 BEFORE you say thats a lot consider it was a bleeding edge hand made prototype of which LESS than 1,000 were made

If you ramped up production of an $80,000 prototype to millions of cars it would cost less than $10k to make them…

want 200 miles? easy toss in TWO $4500 battery packs. I have seen people spend more than 9k on leads for HALF that range. 10+ years later (today) it would cost a lot less than $4500

Sadly this patent does not expire till 2015 so until someone invents something NEW (and the only ones with the REAL money to do the R&D needed also have the MOST to lose by doing so…)

Result - We get screwed. GM sold controlling stock in ovonics (battery tech) to Texaco. Chevron bought Texaco.

Chevron has controlling share in ECD Cobasys and has VETO rights on ANY usage of the battery technology. IE NO EV’s allowed.

EV’s at minimum 6 times more efficient than Gas cars so EVEN IF you transfer the pollution to a COAL plant (recharging the car) your producing 1/6th the pollution.

To top that off Nano Solar just shipped there first solar panels for 90cents a watt IF they can get them to US consumers at or near that price then consider this.

$1600 for the grid tie in and $500 for the solar panel and driving your car would not become FREE and 100% pollution free. That $500 panel would produce MORE E each month than you would use charging your car. You see that E to the utility so its makes power for you from morning to night and you get the credit on your E Bill. that credit will be larger than your deficit to charge the car. 100% free to Drive 100% pollution free. Its a win win.

I want an EV so badly I am dieing for one. I would save over $3 grand a year in gasoline!!

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