WAMG at the REVENGE OF THE ELECTRIC CAR Local Premiere

Filmmaker and green transport guru Chris Paine’s second feature-length documentary, REVENGE OF THE ELECTRIC CAR is a follow-up to his first, WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR? from five years ago. The first was a look at the EV-1, a battery-powered car that General Motors designed, built, and test-marketed.

After conspiring with the big oil companies, GM reclaimed the entire fleet and had the cars destroyed. Paine presented this as one of America’s most outrageous conspiracy theories, right up there with the fake moon landing and the Grassy Knoll, a case of environmental innovation squelched by greedy oil profits.

Paine peppered the film with testimonials from celebrity owners such as Ed Begley Jr, Mel Gibson, and Tom Hanks because either acting in movies makes them experts in technology or because they can afford the pensive cars.

REVENGE OF THE ELECTRIC CAR claims the electric car is back “with a vengeance”. Spokesmen for major automakers (Nissan, GM, and the Silicon Valley start-up Tesla Motors) are interviewed, strutting about their shop floors reassessing the original dismissal of electric cars.

With the economy in the tank and worries about fossil fuels on the rise, the sequel shows these companies contemplating a renewed viability for electric cars.

The film also follows the quest of Elon Musk at Tesla Motors, eager to produce a high-end electric car, and entrepreneur Carlos Ghosn at Nissan Motors, hoping to mass market the Nissan Leaf. It also profiles California mechanic Greg “Gadget” Abbott who converts gas-run cars to battery power from his shabby storefront shop.

And of course Paine brings in the celebs. This time it’s Danny DeVito, Jon Favreau, Stephen Colbert, and he even got Tim Robbins to narrate.

These men enthusiastically testify to the capability of electric cars, but REVENGE still refuses to address the basic problems with the electric cars; expense and practicality. The cost of the batteries and measures to make them safe is still great and they don’t go very fast.