Kirsch, David

The ZEV mandate the seven automakers in the United States to provide electric vehicles so that they could continue selling their gasoline powered models in California. Close to five thousand vehicles were designed and produced by the major automakers, which included Chrysler, Toyota, General Motors, Ford, Honda, and Nissan, and later smashed or donated to educational institutions and museums. The documentary also discussed the repercussions of the events associated with the reliance on oil, pollution, middle east politics, and global warming. The documentary convincingly argued that the devoted market for the eclectic cars indeed existed but that General Motors, in conjunction with the oil industry, smashed the EV1 since it threatened the activities and trade of the entire automobile industry (Rosen 362).

            The EV1 did not use any gasoline, mufflers, or oil and only required intermittent brake maintenance. Every of these components represented profits for the industry that ran into billions of dollars. General Motors, various government agencies, and the oil industry contended that the car was impractical, and less promising compared to the hydrogen technology and did not have adequate range for the consumers (Paterson 256). However, the reality was quite the opposite. The film suggested that the feasibility for the use of hydrogen in powering automobiles was almost comically upbeat. Paul MacCready, an aviation expert, designed the ultra-quiet EV1.