Revenge of the Electric Car

- WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE 405 OR THE 101 OR THE 110,

YOU SEE HOW MUCH CONVENIENCE, HOW MUCH MOBILITY,

HOW MUCH ECONOMIC ACTIVITY THOSE CORRIDORS SUPPORT.

IT HAS BUILT FORTUNES.

IT HAS SAVED LIVES.

IT HAS CREATED COMMUNITIES.

IT'S MADE UNTOLD NUMBERS OF BUSINESSES POSSIBLE.

SEE, NOW, THIS CAR RIGHT HERE,

THIS PORSCHE CAYMAN S,

THIS IS A STONE-COLD FOUR-WHEELED MOTHER OF A CAR.

LOOK HOW NICE THAT CAR IS.

HO-HO-HO.

LOOK HOW CUTE THAT CAR IS. LOOK HOW CUTE THAT CAR IS.

LOOK AT THAT HONDA FIT.

YES, BABY. CUTE.

AWESOME CAR.

THE PROBLEM IS THE GASOLINE IN THE TANK.

NOW, LET'S KICK THIS MULE.

MY GOD. WHOA.

COME ON. COME ON.

I SPENT MY CHILDHOOD DRIVING FAST CARS,

WORKING ON THEM, WRITING ABOUT THEM.

I LOVE GASOLINE HORSEPOWER,

BUT I'VE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT I'LL NEVER BUY

ANOTHER GASOLINE-POWERED CAR AS LONG AS I LIVE.

THE ONLY WAY FORWARD IS ELECTRIC CARS.

IT STARTED WITH AN EMAIL.

THE ELECTRIC CAR WAS BACK FROM THE DEAD.

THE CAR COMPANIES HAD LIED TO US BEFORE.

SHOULD WE BELIEVE THEM?

THE ONLY WAY TO FIND OUT WAS TO GO BEHIND ENEMY LINES.

FOR THREE YEARS, WE GOT ACCESS

TO SOME OF THE WORLD'S MOST SECRETIVE CARMAKERS.

LET'S START WITH THE BIGGEST AND BADDEST OF THEM ALL,

GENERAL MOTORS.

OVER THE LAST CENTURY, GM HAS CHURNED OU OVER 400 MILLION GAS-BURNING CARS AND TRUCKS.

IN THE 1990s, THEY INTRODUCED US TO THE JOYS

OF THE 10-MILE-PER-GALLON HUMMER AND THE ESCALADE.

BUT THEY ALSO TRIED SOMETHING TRULY REVOLUTIONARY,

THE EV1,

THE WORLD'S FIRST MODERN ELECTRIC CAR.

IT WAS FAST, SLEEK, AND POWERED ONLY BY ELECTRICITY.

- FIRST OF ALL, IT WAS THE COOLEST CAR I EVER HAD.

I WAS TAKING CARE OF THE PLANET.

I WASN'T GUNKING UP THE AIR.

IT WAS A FANTASTIC RIDE.

IT WAS FAST.

I'D BE ZIPPING ALONG, MAN,

70, 80 MILES AN HOUR,

YOU KNOW, JUST FEELING LIKE A MILLION BUCKS.

BUT GM LOST FAITH.

THEY ROUNDED UP THE CARS AS DRIVERS PROTESTED.

- GM, SHAME ON YOU.

- SAVE EV1.

THEN THEY CRUSHED THEM

AND LEFT THEM FOR DEAD.

GM'S CHIEF EXECUTIVE RICK WAGONER

LATER CALLED IT HIS BIGGEST MISTAKE.

- WHEN THEY TOOK THE EV1 AWAY, I WAS DEFINITELY--

I WENT INTO A DEPRESSION.

I FELT, LIKE, REALLY SAD,

BECAUSE IN THE LONG RUN, YOU LOOK BACK AT IT--

THEY MADE A DEAL.

SOMEBODY MADE A DEAL TO KILL THE ELECTRIC CAR.

AND--YOU KNOW, AND IT WOULD'VE BEEN A COOL THING TO HAVE,

AND I STILL WOULD'VE BEEN DRIVING IT NOW.

- GM HAD A LOT OF HATERS

AND, INTERESTINGLY, PEOPLE WITH VERY LONG MEMORIES.

THEY WOULD SAY THEY NEVER WOULD BUY ANOTHER GM AGAIN.

- GM GOT A LOT OF BAD PUBLICITY FOR THE EV1,

BUT HERE'S WHERE WE ARE NOW.

THERE'S NOT ONLY A BUSINESS CASE FOR ELECTRIC CARS.

THERE IS A COMPELLING BUSINESS CASE.

THERE IS AN INEVITABILITY TO THIS TECHNOLOGY.

IT HAS COME SO FAR SO FAST AT A TIME

WHEN GASOLINE AND THE POLITICS OF OIL

HAVE BECOME INCREASINGLY PROBLEMATIC.

- I THINK THAT WHEN GAS PRICES WERE HIGH,

THERE WAS A DEGREE OF EXCITEMENT AROUND ELECTRIC VEHICLES

THAT WE HADN'T SEEN BEFORE.

- I'M SICK AND TIRED OF WORRYING

ABOUT GAS PRICES EVERY SIX MONTHS.

I'M SICK AND TIRED OF THESE FAILED WARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST.

I'M SICK AND TIRED OF BREATHING THE AIR THAT WE'RE BREATHING.

WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY. WE HAVE THE KNOW-HOW.

WE ARE INNOVATIVE. LET'S ACT LIKE IT.

- I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS IS A PROBLEM

THAT IS GONNA BE RESOLVED BY REGULATORS AND BUREAUCRATS.

THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT'S GONNA BE SOLVED

BY ENGINEERS, INNOVATORS, AND ENTREPRENEURS.

SOMETIMES CHANGE STARTS

WITH THE MOST UNLIKELY PEOPLE.

- HOW ARE YOU TODAY, BOB?

- PRETTY GOOD, THANKS. CAN'T COMPLAIN.

BUSINESS IS LOUSY,

BUT OTHER THAN THAT, EVERYTHING'S FINE.

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