Who Killed The Electric Car? (2006)

          Fast, sleek, quiet, affordable, and environmentally friendly, the EV1 seemed liked a dream car come of age. Right? Wrong. For about ten years (1996–2006) General Motors and other car companies invested in, built and then leased (but never sold) the EV1 to the public. At one point GM CEO Roger Smith even bragged about the car. GM then pulled the plug, claiming there was too little consumer demand and no profit to be made. This documentary argues that is patently false. Rather, the film makers contend that GM, the Bush administration, the California Air Resources Board, and the oil companies combined to kill the project. In fact, when customer leases expired, GM repossessed every single EV1, refused to allow customers to keep or buy them, then crushed and shredded them in secrecy. I especially appreciated the distinctly optimistic note this film ended on, with its belief that technological innovation and customer common sense cannot be thwarted forever, despite the greed and propaganda of oil and car companies.