Notes from movie: Who Killed the Electric Car? Viewed October 1, 2008
• Electric cars first invented in 1960's
• Every gallon of gas burned adds 19 lbs of CO2 to the air
• 1987- GM Sun Racer. Solar car prototype
• California Zero Emissions Vehicle Mandate -1990
• Saturn EV1 – the first commercial electric car
• Consumer doubts:
1. Are they strong, big and dependable?
2. Where do I charge it?
• Oil companies paid for editorials reporting negative testimonies about the car
• Framed as a wealthy person’s vehicle
• “You’ll never see a sexy lady or man leaning on an electric car. And well, that’s how they sell cars.”
• Hydrogen fuel cells – big competition – backed by car companies and lawmakers
• EV1’s purchased from dealer, then crushed in a junk lot in the middle of Arizona!
• Eventually only 78 Ev1’s left. Activists offered to buy them from GM, but GM wouldn’t sell.
• Who killed the E-car?
1. Consumers: Were they interested? Did they know it existed? Did they know the differences of the car? The environmental benefits?
2. Oil companies: lobbied for opposition to the electric car
3. Government: sued California to stop electric car. Influence of auto and oil industries.
• No change in car fuel efficiency since 1970’s
• 1987: 8.8 million barrels of oil imported per day
• 1005: 13.5 million barrels of oil imported per day
• OPEC nations agree to lower price of fuel in 1980’s (keeping the junkies addicted!)
• Japanese car companies began developing hybrid technology in response to US hybrid prototypes. US never released prototypes, while Japanese companies took over niche market
• “Clean cars are too important to be left to the auto industry”
4. Hydrogen fuel cell: still 15-20 years out. 5 miracles for hydrogen cars:
• cost $1 mil
• not enough room for hydrogen fuel
• fuel is expensive
• need fueling infrastructure
• competing technologies must not improve
• Every gallon of gas burned adds 19 lbs of CO2 to the air
• 1987- GM Sun Racer. Solar car prototype
• California Zero Emissions Vehicle Mandate -1990
• Saturn EV1 – the first commercial electric car
• Consumer doubts:
1. Are they strong, big and dependable?
2. Where do I charge it?
• Oil companies paid for editorials reporting negative testimonies about the car
• Framed as a wealthy person’s vehicle
• “You’ll never see a sexy lady or man leaning on an electric car. And well, that’s how they sell cars.”
• Hydrogen fuel cells – big competition – backed by car companies and lawmakers
• EV1’s purchased from dealer, then crushed in a junk lot in the middle of Arizona!
• Eventually only 78 Ev1’s left. Activists offered to buy them from GM, but GM wouldn’t sell.
• Who killed the E-car?
1. Consumers: Were they interested? Did they know it existed? Did they know the differences of the car? The environmental benefits?
2. Oil companies: lobbied for opposition to the electric car
3. Government: sued California to stop electric car. Influence of auto and oil industries.
• No change in car fuel efficiency since 1970’s
• 1987: 8.8 million barrels of oil imported per day
• 1005: 13.5 million barrels of oil imported per day
• OPEC nations agree to lower price of fuel in 1980’s (keeping the junkies addicted!)
• Japanese car companies began developing hybrid technology in response to US hybrid prototypes. US never released prototypes, while Japanese companies took over niche market
• “Clean cars are too important to be left to the auto industry”
4. Hydrogen fuel cell: still 15-20 years out. 5 miracles for hydrogen cars:
• cost $1 mil
• not enough room for hydrogen fuel
• fuel is expensive
• need fueling infrastructure
• competing technologies must not improve
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