Who Killed the Electric Car?

This documentary was recommended to me by a colleague from work. It absolutely opened my eyes to the automotive industry. I must say that while reading all sorts of theories about all sorts of things, I armed myself with a fairly strong defense mechanism. But this documentary does not play with different opinions and ideas, it simply introduces the facts as they really are. And now someone explain to me that the Americans didn’t really have anything to do with 9/11, when one of the world’s largest carmakers is controlled by the world’s largest oil tycoon... (05.07.2013)

A typical example of an activist documentary that relies on elaborate conspiracy theories. These theories occupy a significant place in the highly individualistic American society, which traditionally distrusts the central government and remote institutions. The film claims that without a conspiracy by American car manufacturers, particularly General Motors, a significant portion of American cars today could have been powered by electricity. This is, of course, nonsense. If you want to introduce a new technology, you have to overcome enormous obstacles, invest heavily, and take significant risks because someone else can come up with a different technical solution and business model that overtakes you. And that's not enough because your technology must also be ready enough for use. In Europe, we have the example of the massive use of photovoltaic power plants, which are maintained thanks to huge subsidies and political favoritism. If consumers had to decide based on supply and demand alone, the market for electricity from solar power plants would collapse overnight. Thanks to state subsidies, this seems painless, and only a few can calculate that Europe is losing competitiveness compared to the rest of the world, which clearly does not share the same ideals. American car manufacturers were not prepared for the new technological revolution and were generally not in good condition in the 1990s because they did not anticipate the emergence of fuel-efficient vehicles, and they were heavily dominated by Asian competition. If the technology of electric cars had been ready enough for use, anyone else could have introduced it worldwide and gained a competitive advantage over American manufacturers. However, it was not ready because the vast majority of consumers make practical decisions and will not buy a significantly more expensive vehicle with significantly limited features. I am an employee of a company that is trying to make electric mobility a reality in the Czech Republic, so I know what I'm talking about. This documentary sells emotions and the smiling faces of American celebrities instead of arguments, following the pattern of eco-activism. Overall impression: 40% for the otherwise highly professional work. (30.12.2012)