“Revenge of the Electric Car” – The Sequel and Review
 

Watch and let me know what it says to you.

Wayne Gerdes - CleanMPG - April 20, 2012

“Revenge” has such a negative implication when in reality; the electric revolution will someday provide much better prospects for all concerned.

I just finished watching Chris Paine’s “Revenge of the Electric Car” on PBS and have to say it was well done for what appears to be a low budget production. The movie covered the hopes and dreams of the electric car movers and shakers, progressed thorough the trials and tribulations of the global recession and ended on a very positive note through 4 different perspectives. Those perspectives being through the eyes of Tesla's Elon Musk, GM's Bob Lutz (retired), Nissan's Carlos Ghosn and a small electric vehicle conversion shop owner (Greg Abbott) as they attempt to create their vision of the electrified transportation future.

I believe the movies theme involved too many “insiders and pundits” within the automotive and business journalistic community. And most do not have the business acumen to speak about the business of building cars in a manner that was portrayed. None of us on this side of the fence (journalists) really know the ins and outs about manufacturing automobiles and we all make guesses but in the end, most were proven wrong thanks to a number of lucky strikes whether that be through corporate cash infusions, DOE loans, IPOs, Government bailouts, tax giveaways to produce product where it would never have occurred without palms being greased or just plain dumb luck.

Similarly, I think Chris and his team spent far too many minutes with sub characters whose only reason for being was to describe how the electric car is not much more than a “roll of the dice” through companies the size of GM and Nissan. Telsa, sure but GM and Nissan’s entire corporate structure is not being built around the Volt and the LEAF although as the movie progressed, it tended to make the viewer think that way.

Electric cars are a gamble this early on in the transportation game but electrification is a sure bet over the horizon. If a manufacturer does not dabble in the electrified water, they will be left behind once the electric revolution begins in earnest. The Volt, LEAF, iMiEV, Prius PHEV and Focus Electric are only the first steps with hopefully more affordable and suitable solutions for all just ahead.

The largest manufacturers need to do the hard work now so that when the electrification revolution arrives, they have product that is affordable, sustainable and makes sense. We unfortunately are not there yet but I have faith that the future as we make it will provide a taste of both milk and honey. We will unfortunately taste a lot of sour milk as we make our way to that place that is as always "just around the corner".

While we consume the last vestiges of fossil fuels in order to drive big, dumb, fast and expensive, alternatives are coming. The only problem being most will drive those alternatives big, dumb, fast and expensive and in the process, “may” screw it all up for everyone anyway. Let us hope calmer and shaper minds prevail as the future unfolds.

In closing, if I had access to really big $$$’s, I would drive a LEAF daily and own a Prius v for everything else. A compromise indeed. And I can dream like everybody else :)

Watch for the replay of “Revenge of the Electric Car” on a PBS station near you. I can guarantee that all of us here at CleanMPG will find a deeper meaning within its dialog then we have experienced from any other movie seen this year. That is what a good movie should provide and on that note, “Revenge of the Electric Car” delivers.

Re: “Revenge of the Electric Car” – The Sequel and Review
 

you could save quite a bit of money with a Volt.. just one registration tag, one insurance policy, one car payment.. just saying :)

Re: “Revenge of the Electric Car” – The Sequel and Review
 

Hi Herm:

I could save quite a bit more money with a Prius c, hatch or v, Accent, Elantra or Rio given my current income ;)

Wayne

Re: “Revenge of the Electric Car” – The Sequel and Review
 

Does RotEC cover the demise of the Aptera? I heard they had to give back a bunch of deposits.
Were they under capitalized? I thought they had a pretty nifty design.

Re: “Revenge of the Electric Car” – The Sequel and Review
 

Wayne,

you could save money on anything you drive. :p

Re: “Revenge of the Electric Car” – The Sequel and Review
 

No it doesn't mention it.

I would have loved an Aptera. Take a motorcycle and then:
- Add a wheel for stability
- Add an enclosed cabin for comfort and safety
- Add aerodynamics for efficiency
- Replace engine with a battery and motor for clean driving

They failed to meet requirements to get a DoE loan guarantee. I'm sure the failure at Automotive X put the final nail in the coffin.

Re: “Revenge of the Electric Car” – The Sequel and Review
 

A Renault Twizy could serve as a spiritual* replacement for an Aptera.. its basically a covered 4 wheel motorcycle, but with limited range and speed. You will get wet if it rains. You lucky people in Europe will be able to get one.

There is another Aptera-like vehicle running around.

* basically the need to drive a different looking vehicle.

Re: “Revenge of the Electric Car” – The Sequel and Review
 

A car company that is not investing into "electrics" now will go the way of Kodak in the not too distant future.

Re: “Revenge of the Electric Car” – The Sequel and Review
 

Why electric? They just use coal power, in the south. Why not CNG? I live in texas and that stuff is everywhere. It needs no refinement, and eliminates range and charging issues.

Re: “Revenge of the Electric Car” – The Sequel and Review
 

Hi All:

My mom just sent me a link to watch it online at the following:

HULU – Revenge of the Electric Car

Wayne

Re: “Revenge of the Electric Car” – The Sequel and Review
 

With electrics you could park your Twizy in the living room and never worry about the gas smell.. perfect for small towns.

Re: “Revenge of the Electric Car” – The Sequel and Review
 

The movie is also available as an instant watch on Netflix.

I was hoping to see Chelsey Sexton in the movie. ;-) They should have chopped a few of the way too many minutes of Maximum Bob to include her.

Bob

Re: “Revenge of the Electric Car” – The Sequel and Review
 

Wayne,
Looking at the cost of vehicle's it doesn't seem to me that the Leaf or the Prius V fall into the realm of needing really big $$$$ to purchase. Definitely more than I am going to spend for the limited driving I do and apparently you. But driving around town it is pretty obvious that many drivers easily exceed that price point in their purchase of a personal transportation device.

A previously owned V or Leaf in a couple of years might be the sweet compromise.

Mike

Re: “Revenge of the Electric Car” – The Sequel and Review
 

Hi Mike:

I agree in some respects but our tax situation would negate most of the LEAF's tax credit so that would be a waste in mine and most household's financial situation. Now it is a $35,000 compact local car.

The Prius v3 with NAVI and backup camera can be found in the low to mid 27K range. If you have seen some of the pics I took this morning and afternoon, it is a utility vehicle without the usual fuel consumption premium that most crossovers and utilities force you to endure.

I cannot really afford to purchase either but if I could, these would be my current top picks for the daily commute (LEAF) and for the family (Prius v-3).

On my budget, the 12 Rio, 12 Accent, 12 Elantra or 12 c would be more likely occupying my drive. All are great values in the subcompact through mid-size segments but they do not offer what the LEAF or the v provides unfortunately.

Wayne

Re: “Revenge of the Electric Car” – The Sequel and Review
 

It is available via Netflix (streaming), I watched it and it was very interesting how everyone has a different approach to the technology and how some of them had some "bad luck" in their respective lives after being pro electric car...:rolleyes:

Re: “Revenge of the Electric Car” – The Sequel and Review
 

In DC, we have hourly rental vehicles called zipcars to drive around the city - a fast recharge electric car ( range doesn't have to be over 100 miles) would be a perfect zipcar....

Re: “Revenge of the Electric Car” – The Sequel and Review
 

This is exactly the reason why I pushed a friend of mine in that direction late last year. His Buick Regal was 10+ years old and having one issue after another, and he was convinced he needed an SUV of some sort (He's from Texas and stubborn once he sets his mind to something lol). So, rather than talk him out of a segment he was set on, I talked him towards the most efficient vehicle within where he was looking. He's upper 30s in FE, which is good considering his commute. It's also double-ish what he was getting in the Buick, and it ran on Premium fuel also. It is a little odd that he would complain about the cost of fuel for the Buick, but then he wanted something that would struggle to reach what it was getting (18ish city).

I love his v but it's way more car than I need. I'm quite happy still with my regular Prius. I would also love to have a Leaf in the driveway, but that cost isn't anything I can afford for awhile - at least until the Harley loan is paid off. But then, I'm not sure I could justify 2 cars and 2 motorcycles for one person. That seems a little overkill lol.

Re: “Revenge of the Electric Car” – The Sequel and Review
 

Every time a LEAF owner silently glides by a gas station where some aggressive, sweaty SUV hog is dumping $150 into the gas tank (for 240 miles worth of driving), that counts as revenge. Mwhahah-hah-hah-hah!