The film interviews people from all over the industry, from people at the car companies to government officials to the drivers themselves. The amount of information is considerable but it is presented perfectly in concise chapters so it is very easy to follow and always fascinating.
The history of the electric car is as old as the car itself. Not being much of a car buff I had no idea there were electric cars on the road 80 years ago. They interview people (Phyllis Diller for one!) who remember the cars back then which astonished me. From there we see the history of the car companies and how they tore up trolley tracks around the nation so the cities would become entirely car dependent.
The interviews with the people who built these cars and the drivers give us alot of the information on the history of California’s electric cars in the 1990’s and what happened. The film is set up beautifully with chapter headings asking the questions of the government, the auto industry, the public etc. and in the end it makes conclusions based on the evidence presented. There is also a wonderful interview with a husband and wife inventor team who have watched their battery technology buried by the auto industry. Watching this amazing American ingenuity be buried for corporate interests is downright criminal.
There is plenty of information that makes you want to be sure that these cars are mass produced and available to all income levels. One question I never understood was why other countries (like European ones) have not adopted the electric car when gas is so expensive per liter there. Also they discuss hydrogen vehicles and the information is very disturbing, these vehicles look like they won’t be on the road for many decades and may not be cost effective at all. This looks like a trap the oil companies are setting up to make sure we drive nothing but gas vehicles until the last drop of oil is taken out of the ground.
Be on the lookout for this documentary, it’s well worth your time.