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Who Killed the Electric Car?

Since GM has just introduced a new electric car, the odd circumstances of their coordinated destruction of all their older electric car seems less sinister. However, take the murder mystery metaphor of this fun film as simply a good narrative device to communicate the peculiar and disheartening politics surrounding alternative energy. There's a lot broken. This film does a good job in outlining all the forces conspiring against electric cars (many, powerful, and desperate), and the unceasing technological forces converging to make it happen. Now that the reactionary forces have been exposed in full video daylight, the inevitable electric car may happen sooner. This film makes the virtues of an electric car seem so utterly sane and desirable, you'll want one immediately. I've ridden in two different independent luxury electric cars being developed by eager Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, and boy, electric cars are powerful, fast, and amazing. This movie finally explained to me why I can't buy one yet.

-- KK

Who Killed the Electric Car?
Directed by Chris Paine
2006, 91 min.
$20, DVD

Available from Amazon

Rentable from Netflix

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