Who Killed the electric Car?

The documentary I viewed, Who Killed the Electric Car?, addressed the rise and fall of the EV1, a fully electric car that was first produced in 1996. The car was created by General Motors in an attempt to cut down on oil consumption and pollution. Several hundred were produced and introduced to the streets of California. However, due to an interlocking web of issue involving oil companies, car companies, the government, the consumer, and hydrogen fuel cell, the car was sadly taken off the streets and destroyed.

This truly gives a glimpse into the length that companies will go to in order to obtain money and power, even if it means sacrificing a car that would drastically cut down on pollution and gas expenses. An aspect that film did not touch on quite enough, in my opinion, was the role of the consumer in relation to the price of the car. What was not explicitly mentioned was the fact that that car was in fact extremely expensive, and therefore would not have even been an option to the majority of the U.S. population. However, I did appreciate the fact that the film made me pause and consider how little thought I put into what I drive and what impact that has.