Who Killed The Electric Car?

[TD_Project]

Now I know that this should belong in Media category, but this does tie into CT as far as I know.

For those who haven't watched the documentary, it is about the car entitled the General Motors EV1. (Electric Vehicle 1) This car was the only car manufactured with the GM name, and was an electric vehicle made to conform to a law passed in California, which required automotive manufacturers to make a feasible electric vehicle. The movie goes on to explain that the experiment was not only feasible, but practical. The car was a success and leased to many people as a test. However the problems started when the lease ran out. The lease required all EV1's to be returned to GM, with no opportunity for buy-backs or lease renewals. All EV1 owners were pretty upset at this, and they were promised that the EV1 vehicles would be dismantled and every part used in other GM vehicles.

Later on in the movie, some vigilante citizens spy on the GM Proving Grounds and find many EV1's pointlessly crushed. The last batch of EV1's sat in a parking lot being watched by citizens who wanted to keep their cars. After a long battle, those EV1's were crushed as well.

It's a story that doesn't make too much sense, until I really thought about it. According to most of the interviews, (keep in mind these interviews were extremely biased) they suggest GM didn't want to see the EV1 succeeding, as they would lose an extreme amount of profit. A normal car has to worry about many things, with it's internal combustion engine; Oil Filter, Air intake parts, clutch, gas tank wiring systems, oil filters, gas filters, etc. Dealerships and car manufacturers make a lot of money servicing their own cars, as they will always need to be serviced. The EV1 was a very clean and very efficient car, that required little service. It's battery lasted long enough to complete an average work commute or journey to most places, and the newer batteries could turn the vehicle into a 300 mile-range vehicle easily.

Therefore, it's not only the oil companies who lose profit, but it is the car companies themselves that would lose profit. And the government was in no rush to help to save these electric vehicles. They had a $4000 tax rebate on the EV1's at the time. May seem like a good idea, however they had a $100,000 tax rebate on SUV's at the time. This works the global warming effort backwards, as it requires us to be more dependent on oil outside of North America. With global warming in our mind, we can't afford to keep in the Middle East protecting the oil we require, when we should be focusing on solutions to the problems. After Carter put solar panels on the White House, and called for many environmental changes, many things improved. Then Reagan entered the White House as president and called for the panels to be taken down, as well as many environmental acts to be shut down.

Either way, this movie is a good movie to get your mind going. The car companies, government, oil companies and lack of motivation to start change prevent this world from becoming greener.

Anyways, I think I'm taking on a topic too big for me to even discuss, any opinions?
(P.S. move to Media category if you see fit)

[tsugomaru]

It isn't solely the company's fault. Their goal is to make money, and to do that, they need to sell goods. If they designed an environmentally friendly car for cheap and no one buys it, then the people are at fault. The company already put in their effort to make a fuel-efficient car, they have done their part. The consumers need to do their part and spend their money to buy these fuel-efficient cars to help the environment.

~Tsugomaru

[kommisar[os]]

the oil companies wouldn't be too happy neither. *bribes*

also i don't think people would ignore the fact that the car is cheaper to pay for the energy that runs it.

[Zageron]

Originally Posted by tsugomaru

It isn't solely the company's fault. Their goal is to make money, and to do that, they need to sell goods. If they designed an environmentally friendly car for cheap and no one buys it, then the people are at fault. The company already put in their effort to make a fuel-efficient car, they have done their part. The consumers need to do their part and spend their money to buy these fuel-efficient cars to help the environment.

~Tsugomaru

Did you even read the post?
I'm pretty sure the movie was about GM taking cars back, and crushing them. (Even though the cars were great and all the renters wanted to ether keep them or buy them)

[tsugomaru]

Nah, I skimmed through it. My assumption was that this was about GM making an environmentally friendly car, but then it never came into the mainstream. I'd like to see the source of the movie because I've heard otherwise. Until then, my belief is that there wasn't enough interest in the car for it to actually be successful. Note how I say believe because what I have said isn't hard fact.

~Tsugomaru

[TD_Project]

All EV1's were assigned to owners in half a week I believe. Also nearing the ending of the last shipment of EV1's demise, the population offered 1.5 million dollars for the remaining cars. Which was rejected.

[Necros140606]

it's obvious that until all of usable oil on earth will be finished (i hope soon) these kinds of projects will never be able to see the light. electric energy is clean and renewable but no, we have to abide by the rules of the old lobbies. that's pretty sad.

[kommisar[os]]

it's all in the name of profit. they make such insane amounts of money they don't know what to do with it. once oil runs out they'll find a new way to suck people's money out

[Djr Rap dancer]

It's why I play for my subies.
I know now that internet it's just $.
But if you are too stupid to think about this,it's because you got a serious problem.
Be on internet it's not a problem.
But think about internet is a problem, just dont have it at home
lol you are to stupid that you pay all month for tell to other that internet is business.
lol at you all guys.

[rzr]

This whole thing got me really ticked. First thing I want to know is the name of this movie/documentary.

Second, I might as well put my two-cents out there:
What's sad is that the top-dog, deep-pocketed, rich-bitches aren't going to realize how deep of a hole they're digging the world into until it's too late. What we really need is an unselfish rich guy to throw some dough our way and get these cars out there. The whole situation just gets me mad, at least from the angle portrayed in the OP.

[robertsona]

Originally Posted by rzr

This whole thing got me really ticked. First thing I want to know is the name of this movie/documentary.

Who Killed The Electric Car?

[syzergy]

HAHA i watched the movie in school yesterday

[TrueBOSS]

I feel safe in saying it'll be greed that killed the electric car. I'm sure greed was the driver no matter how exactly it died.

[TD_Project]

Originally Posted by Necros140606

it's obvious that until all of usable oil on earth will be finished (i hope soon) these kinds of projects will never be able to see the light. electric energy is clean and renewable but no, we have to abide by the rules of the old lobbies. that's pretty sad.

I live in Canada, and the province west of us is going to be dug out for it's oil reserves, and my province as well.

Also in the north Arctic Ocean there is tons of oil. Only problem is apparently it's not claimed. So expect another war and some gas prices going up even more.

I forgot to add, that the electric car and hydrogen vehicles wouldn't do me any good in the winter, as it reaches -40 F in the winter, to anywhere near +120 in the summer. The electric car wouldn't start in the winter, and being that water is the only exhaust from the hydrogen vehicle I would imagine that it would freeze.

Off topic, but anyways, if anyone hasn't seen the documentary, its on the movie channels on TV, or go rent it.

Titled: Who Killed The Electric Car?

Have fun

[TrueBOSS]

Lol, I wouldn't see a war breaking out so easily over the arctic oil.
Idk so much about everywere else but a lot of people around the Mid-Western States hold Canada as a good place. I think it's a pretty awsome place too (except for whenever I'm playing RuneScape on a Canadian server and a bunch of Canandians try to force me to jump servers for being an American ) The only way I see a war comming in there is if China or Korea tries to sieze it. The U.S. isn't as war hungry as other countries seem to believe we are (I only say this because a lot of my foreign friends are always making claims that their families tell them that American's are war hungry.)

[Vendetta21]

GE is remaking the EV1 in the form of the Chevy Volt. Don't kid yourself in thinking that the electric car is dead, and that it will never happen. It just takes a longer period of time than you'd hope, and it's slower than is worth paying attention to. The electric car will be the next major innovation in transportation, and if public pressure persists, then the burden of doing something about global warming will be placed on the energy sector rather than the transportation sector.

All one has to do is look at the TESLA Motors Roadster to know that the electric car will be viable when research costs come down.

[Afrombean]

The problem here is multifaceted.

Don't just think of the oil companies. The auto manufacturers.

Think of the people who own small gas stations. Car dealerships. Car mechanics.

A full-on switch to the infrastructure that large would shift many jobs from one industry to another, or remove them entirely. And any jobs made from this would no-doubt be skilled jobs. This means more time and money invested in education just so that Joe Shmoe car mechanic can learn how to service the entirely electric systems.

So yes, it would be good for the environment, and it'd be nice for the consumer, but that's not enough sometimes. Sometimes maintaining jobs and industries are more important, even if you cut out the "MUST MAKE MONEY" folks at the top.

And this, too, is without recognizing the limitations of the electric model. They're typically slower with smaller max distances. Then also notice that this electricity comes from somewhere. Yeah, you plug it in and your electric company supplies, but where does that come? Usually from burning coal. So again, it'd help a little, but it's still not perfect. And even if America makes a shift to only producing electric cars, what about the old cars still on the road? What about the old cars still on the road in other nations? What about countries who would rather continue building cars the way they always have rather than investing in new tech?

[Vendetta21]

Originally Posted by Afrombean

And this, too, is without recognizing the limitations of the electric model. They're typically slower with smaller max distances. Then also notice that this electricity comes from somewhere. Yeah, you plug it in and your electric company supplies, but where does that come? Usually from burning coal. So again, it'd help a little, but it's still not perfect. And even if America makes a shift to only producing electric cars, what about the old cars still on the road? What about the old cars still on the road in other nations? What about countries who would rather continue building cars the way they always have rather than investing in new tech?

Technological shifts don't displace workers, they unite and create them. While it hurts those with specialized oil knowledge in the long run, it does create new jobs. The internet changed up a lot of ****, and destroyed some fields of work. That's a moot argument.

The real problem is that electric cars are expensive and less useful. Or were, that is. Now they look like the most viable paradigm shift. Don't believe me? Check out the TESLA Motors Roadster and the Chevy Volt. One is effective and one is cheap (relative).

[Go_Oilers_Go]

Originally Posted by Vendetta21

Technological shifts don't displace workers, they unite and create them. While it hurts those with specialized oil knowledge in the long run, it does create new jobs. The internet changed up a lot of ****, and destroyed some fields of work. That's a moot argument.

The real problem is that electric cars are expensive and less useful. Or were, that is. Now they look like the most viable paradigm shift. Don't believe me? Check out the TESLA Motors Roadster and the Chevy Volt. One is effective and one is cheap (relative).

Thank you. You touched on all the bases that I would have talked about.

For those that are deterred by the theories of electric cars being pansy cars with no balls, the TESLA car is capable of 0-60 in 3.9 seconds. Also, take into account that electric cars are still in a relatively infantile stage. With another 50 years of development under their belts I would be willing to bet that they can perform every bit as good as the gas-powered vehicles of today.

[Necros140606]

Originally Posted by Afrombean

A full-on switch to the infrastructure that large would shift many jobs from one industry to another, or remove them entirely. And any jobs made from this would no-doubt be skilled jobs. This means more time and money invested in education just so that Joe Shmoe car mechanic can learn how to service the entirely electric systems.

Then also notice that this electricity comes from somewhere. Yeah, you plug it in and your electric company supplies, but where does that come? Usually from burning coal

yep these are also good reasons as why this project has been bohicotted

as for the energy used, if i were rich enough i would obviously not use the electric company energy since i know it comes from a not clean reasource. i would rather install solar panels on my house or make deal with anther company which does use clean energy. it pointless to use an electric car if the pollution is just transferred and not eliminated.