Chris Paine, maker of the famous (at least in these parts) documentary, "Who Killed the Electric Car," is planning a revival of the topic for his next film. Tentatively scheduled for a 2009 release and titled "Revenge of the Electric Car" (does the sequel look to get some inspiration from the Star Wars franchise?), it certainly wouldn't be a shocker if the electric car in question were none other than the Chevy Volt. While the first documentary focused on the destruction of the EV1 from General Motors - despite the fact that many past EV owners wanted to purchase them outright - the second film appears ready to welcome the electric car back from the dead.

We're not at all certain what the movie will focus on, but it is definitely true that electric cars are seeing a reincarnation of sorts. Tesla Motors, Fisker Automotive and General Motors all have plans to create new electric or hybrid vehicles in the coming years, along with many other major automakers. Even if it isn't the beloved little coupe, we join Mr. Paine and the throngs of ex-EV1 drivers in welcoming the electric car's return.

[Source: The Detroit Free Press]

Don't know how long it'll be until this video is snagged and sent off to Guantanamo, but at least right now you can watch the full-length movie "Who Killed The Electric Car?" through Google video (by clicking the play button above). It's easy to assume that most of the AutoblogGreen readership has seen this movie, but I'm curious to see if I'm right. So, would you mind taking the poll here?

Have you seen "Who Killed the Electric Car?"
	Yes
	No
	No (but I'm going to watch it now)
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Thanks.

[Source: Google Video, h/t to Linton]

Chris Paine, writer and director of "Who Killed the Electric Car," is a finalist for a Writer's Guild of America award. He was nominated in the documentary category and joins four other finalists. A total of 35 writers were under consideration. The winner will be announced February 11 at the WGA Awards ceremony. The nominating committee for the Academy Awards passed on Paine's documentary late last year.

[Source: Dave McNary / Variety]

Most of this week's news stories on the new Chevy Volt reference last year's sleeper hit movie "Who Killed The Electric Car?" That movie, of course, took GM to task for building a great, zero-emission car, the EV1, leasing them, then canceling the programs and taking almost all of the EV1s out to the desert and crushing them. GM's Dave Barthmuss answered questions from AutoblogGreen about that decision, and you can read what he had to say here.

I wanted to get hear what Chris Paine, the director of "Who Killed The Electric Car?" thought of the Volt and GM's plugged-in news this week. This is what he told me:

Sebastian - We came to Detroit for the unveiling and the Volt looks great. It's a beautiful design and the result of what looks like earnest and incredible hustle at GM over the last 12 months. I was impressed. The proof, of course, will be when the car is sitting in your or my driveway, but in the meantime you can be sure that all of our pressure as consumers and citizens has made a difference.

GM has listened and made some good decisions to return to the EV table in earnest. I do not agree with their press faulting the EV1 nor do I believe that everything must wait for the perfect lithium battery; but by the same token I don't feel that this is just a PR play at GM. We talked to senior executives and many employees who looked us in the eye and spoke from their hearts. One executive said "the public won't forgive GM twice" which is a revealing and accurate comment.

From what I can see, GM is doing the right thing and I'm supporting them as long as they keep making good decisions and moving plug-in cars into production reality. It's a week we can all be proud of.

CHRIS

[Source: Chris Paine]

Do you remember the old saying about statistics? Tell me which side of the argument you're on and I'll give you the statistics to prove you're right. Well the same thing applies to documentary movies. Film makers generally have a story they're trying to tell, and they select the footage they need to tell that narrative. Earlier in 2006 the film "Who Killed the Electric Car?" really slammed General Motors and their role in the demise of the EV1 electric car.

In an article today by Detroit Free Press columnist Mark Phelan, Toyota steps up to the plate and defends General Motors actions. Toyota also had an electric car program in California, as did Ford, Chrysler, Honda and others. All of them pulled their EVs from the market, but only GM was featured in the film. Toyota sold an EV based on the RAV4, that was heavily subsidized and made available for the same price as the Prius. The market had an opportunity to select an EV but the Prius is still with us today, and the RAV4 EV isn't. Toyota was interviewed extensively for the film, but according to Toyota VP Ernest Bastien, all of that footage was cut from the film and "It was not balanced at all." Clearly what Toyota had to say did not conform to the director's narrative.

Bastien says that both Toyota and GM heavily promoted their respective electric vehicles. The problem is that not enough customers wanted them. As GM has said, customer's don't want to plan their life around the next battery charge. Director Chris Paine acknowledges that he used the footage he wanted to tell the story he wanted. He focused on GM because it didn't handle the PR around canceling the program as well as Toyota did. Go check out Mark Phelan's article at the Read link

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

Film director Chris Paine ("Who Killed The Electric Car?") was on The Daily Show this week, which gave host Jon Stewart a chance to poke some fun at car companies ("[They] are notoriously hesitant to advertise their products"). Paine talked about his personal experience owning an EV1, how good or a car it was and how GM took the cars away and crushed them in the desert. If you've seen the movie, then you won't learn much new information (but you would miss Stewart's quip about the little "give us our car back" light), but it's free and pretty funny. If you haven't seen the film, then you can get most of the story in six-minutes. You can watch the clip on YouTube.

[Source: Daily Show, or it YouTube?]