Killing the Electric Car – USA
Sep 2006
Did General Motors deliberately sabotage the marketing of electric cars because they threatened the motor industry? That’s the allegation made in a controversial new documentary.
Ten years ago, GM unveiled the EV1 — the first electric car for the mass market. “The EV1 was really special because it was cool and fast and fun to drive,” states former GM marketer Chelsea Sexton. “These cars were so good, they would challenge the status quo of the oil industry.” But despite their popularity among owners, GM quickly pulled the plug on its new product. It claims there was simply no mass market. “You could only go 100 miles before you had to recharge it so had to adapt your lifestyle to meet the needs of the vehicle,” states spokesman Dave Barthmuss. But other workers believe GM never intended the EV1s to work and were more interested in promoting Hummers. “We got indications along the way that they weren’t as sincere as they would have people believe,” states Sexton. All the EV1s had been leased, instead of sold, to their owners. When the leases expired, GM refused to renew them and sent the cars to be crushed. But demand for electric cars keeps on growing. Some enthusiasts have converted their own cars to run on electricity and claim they have invented a battery that will last for 500km.
Produced by SBS/Dateline
Distributed by Journeyman Pictures
Romance Books
25 Responses to “Killing the Electric Car – USA”
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March 1st, 2009 at 9:24 am
Man Bling
We are brainwashed to believe that we sent men to the moon, logic and reality (when available) makes THAT a conspiracy!
March 2nd, 2009 at 4:34 am
Hot Wii Games
I don’t know what to say GM Lies Lies Lies
they know that an electric car would kill all thier maintance income. Big oil, Goverment it is all about the money they don’t care about global warming evil greedy fuckers.
March 3rd, 2009 at 11:27 pm
Man Bling
Hummers are not selling now why is GM not crushing them because lack of demand ??
March 4th, 2009 at 6:28 am
Every thing you need for your own home bar
As far as charging the vehicle when you’re not at home, I envision small plazas or delicatesans installing coin or credit card operated charging stations. They’ll charge a premium for this “service” , but what the hell, its like paying more for a phone call at a payphone than what you pay for it in your house. You’ll pay a little extra for the convenience while shopping. So I think it’s a Canard to say that ‘electric cars cant work cuz there’s no infrastructure”. Bull, just wait a week……
March 5th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Mens Wear
I just hope the Obama Administration doesn’t cause electric rates to go up 10 times what they are now. If the feds would just stay out of things, the current cheap electricity (and cheaper after midnight when all utilities have so much available capacity and will sell their product for a song after midnight) will cause electric cars to be essentially free to drive. All the other comments other have made regarding how ‘maintenance free’ an electric car should be, are also Icing on the Cake.
March 7th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
Man Bling
Stop bailing out big manufacturers so someone else can get on with it.
March 10th, 2009 at 1:09 am
Every thing you need for your own home bar
What a crap…
500 kms with batterie … sure if you have a truck or 2 000 000 Dollars… and the small car win the drag race only because his low weight…
March 10th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
Every thing you need for your own home bar
That’s why GM now is all messed up.Begging money at the Capitol Hill.The Japanese & Europeans are pushing everyday to make the most alternative fuel other than fossil,& yet the big 3 is trailing.
Show them all that we can send man on the moon & robots to Mars.Stop hugging Hummer or it will be be the downfall of the big 3 that is happening now.
It’s not yet late,act now !
March 13th, 2009 at 10:42 am
Man Bling
I think GM did a good thing, but also a bad thing. The good thing was killing the electric car. why? well because it is not reliable, not safe, looks like a frog and where does the electricity come from when you charge it up? a powerplant. The bad thing they did was to keep hummer alive. its just a rubbish car. kill it off please!
What I think the manufacturers should invest on is hydrogenpowered cars. They are:
safe, quick to fill up, high mpg, good looking and very reliable.
March 15th, 2009 at 11:10 am
Hot Wii Games
Hydrogen is a fraud. The oil companies know it will never become viable, economical, or cheap, which is EXACTLY why they are pushing the technology. It makes them look eco-friendly and keeps electric battery powered cars out of the hands of consumers for another 100 years.
March 17th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
Ipod Super Site
Fast charge batteries already exist. And with our leisure society, how hard is it to get a cup of coffee and pastry while you are filling up your tank?
March 19th, 2009 at 5:18 am
Hot Wii Games
Exactly! Industry always fears new things because they believe it destroys existing markets. If you look at history you can see that new things wipe out old markets, but wipes out markets that should have been wiped out. The new markets created are bigger and more profitable. Even the rather silly iPod created a huge market for 3rd party add-ons and accessories.
March 19th, 2009 at 8:14 pm
Fun Games
It’s hilarious to think of the amount of time we spend stuck in glacial traffic. A lot of people spend two or three hours a day communting. Then when people talk about electric cars one of their first complaints is the amount of time it takes to charge them up. Which is often done a night during low electrical grid usage. In addition, say it takes three hours to fast charge an EV, that could save you a 90 dollar tank of gas. I don’t know about you but I do not make 30 dollars an hour.
March 22nd, 2009 at 3:00 am
Mens Wear
Yes, pjkPA, if you look up those wood gasifiers that people put on cars, many were placed their during the depression. This was an era of extremely cheap gas. However, when times are tough and the future uncertain many people will put up with a lot of inconvenience to save a buck. I have to laugh sometimes when people review hybrid cars or electric cars and they start complaining about dashboard styling. Seriously, you could sell a plug in EV with a sheet of aluminum for a dashboard.
March 23rd, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Visit Our Store
You called it Monkeyman, when I think of the parts and systems that have failed on the three cars I have owned it occurs to me that the vast majority do not exist on an electric car. Lets run down the list of things that have broken and cost me an arm and a leg. Radiator, heater core (three!!!) fuel pump, fuel pump ground wire, rad fan, water pump, cooling gasket, transmission, sending unit, plus all the regular maintenance items like oil changes, rad fluid oh and what’s the other thing…gas.
March 26th, 2009 at 2:44 am
Romance Books
It’s true that the current parts & maintenance market will have to become obsolete, but it will also open up an entirely new parts and maintenance market.
The fears that it will put everyday maintenance people out of business are blinding people to the potential economic benefits of adapting these goods and services to fit the new market.
There will still be a need for mechanics and auto parts dealers.
All that will change is what is required from those people.
March 29th, 2009 at 2:54 am
Fun Games
Yes, no more tranny shop guy squirting oil on top of ur tranny, and showing you where its leaking, 500$ for wiping the oil off that he put there…
April 1st, 2009 at 2:37 am
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The industry doesn’t want electric cars because they believe it destroys the car parts and maintenance market.
Electric cars don’t need oil changes, transmission service, coolant flush, greases and lubes, ignition tune-ups.
April 2nd, 2009 at 8:07 am
Hot Wii Games
No.. unfair trade is what is hurting them the most. Toyota is not paying taxes at it’s plants in the south and paying poverty wages.. yes poverty in this country is set at 23K per year… Toyota Honda Nissan Hyundai are paying 24K per year… poverty wages and not paying US taxes.They also import cars with no tariffs while a Chevy Cobalt costs $45,000 in Japan. Our government is no doing its job and now they are saying it’s the comopanies fault. If only our government ran half as efficent as GM
April 3rd, 2009 at 9:28 am
Man Bling
Just like ten years ago… gas price is going down to $1 a gallon again… but I think people may react different this time. The Chevy VOLT sill looks really good to me. I’m ready for the electric driveline. One moving part. no tranny.
April 4th, 2009 at 1:18 am
Man Bling
i do give credit to GM for the EV…but after they stoped making the EV they sold the battery rights to Chevron. now the Toyota Prius uses them and they buy there batteries from Chevron….
looks like GM is a day late and a dollar short again…funny part is that there prized Hummer is the one who hurt them the most LOL
April 6th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Mens Wear
lets see GM was the only car company to respond to the CARD mandate with a all EV EV and now somehow they are the bad one?
Know your enemies. GM built it no one else did. CARB pushed the mandate back. Gas was $1 per gallon I loved the car but with gas so cheap it wasn’t cost effective to own. it was a rich boy toy. but I’m very glad GM built it. Only GM no other company. Others didn’t come close to the efficiency of the GM EV1.
Now GM CHEVY VOLT. best technology to date. many will copy.
April 7th, 2009 at 6:32 am
Visit Our Store
I saw this great documentary and I think it should be studied in schools.
April 10th, 2009 at 12:05 am
Fun Games
GM is junk…let it go under
April 12th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
Hot Wii Games
miles xs 500 can go out and kill the stupied gm volt that is basicly a hibrid. they say $10000 less and fully electric. gm can’t even match what they did 10 years ago pretty sad and shows they want you to buy oil