Sep 29, 2008

Who Revived the Electric Car?

The documentary film Who Killed the Electric Car? portrayed General Motors as a villain deliberately conspiring to put an ineffective electric vehicle into the market to kill future electric vehicle interest among consumers. But now, that same General Motors has blown out its 100 birthday candles by offering a splashy introduction of its upcoming production, the Chevrolet Volt, a vehicle that takes electric cars in a new, and perhaps more practical direction.

In an interesting twist, Chris Paine, the documentary filmmaker who wrote and directed Who Killed the Electric Car? participated in a GM-sponsored symposium that was among the events marking the occasion. Paine is currently filming Revenge of the Electric Car, which is not, as rumored in some blogs, a movie version of the popular ‘60s TV show My Mother the Car.

GM’s birthday kicked off with a live global broadcast in Detroit, where the production model of the Chevrolet Volt was revealed. GM says the revolutionary extended-range electric vehicle will deliver up to 40 miles per gallon of gasoline and emissions-free driving for hundreds of additional miles. During the last 100 years or so, which has raced by so fast, GM has been responsible for many innovations that have helped shape personal transportation, including the electric self-starter, fully automatic transmission and shatter-proof safety glass. Since its founding in 1908, General Motors has built over 450 million vehicles and currently manufactures cars and trucks in 35 different countries.