Revenge of the Electric Car

OCTOBER 5, 2008

Early wakeup calls in Detroit continued as our grand tour picked up speed. We shoot at the Tech Center campus where engineers ran tests on Volt battery packs. To our surprise, some of the industrial battery testing equipment came from Aerovironment, the company who had built the SunRaycer and Impact EV prototypes back in the early 1990s. GM Tech Center, Designed by Eero Saairnen 1949.

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Detroit GM Volt EV1 113

Revenge of the Electric Car

OCTOBER 1, 2008

Welcome to our blog and Chris Paine’s new film, “Revenge of the Electric Car.&# (slated for Spring, 2010)! Every week, we’ll be posting production stories, insider information, and late breaking news from the world of plug-in vehicles. We’ll be covering stories from around the world — from the auto giants to the converters to indy startups.

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Electric Cars Plugin Cars Electric 113

Revenge of the Electric Car

DECEMBER 23, 2008

I wrote a few months ago about the Japanese and European carmakers teaming up with Asian and Euro battery manufacturers with $200-$400 million deals to build large production facilities that will soon be cranking out high volumes of LiIon batteries for plug-in cars. Since achieving cost parity with internal combustion requires batteries to cost less than $500 per kWh, this is a welcome sign that we’ll be seeing those prices in short order.

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Power Powered Batteries Battery 100

Revenge of the Electric Car

DECEMBER 24, 2008

“Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. said today that it will show a small electric concept vehicle at the Detroit auto show next month.&# - Toyota Division Communications. Considering the implication of those two short lines, they were barely whispered to the press. Toyota is going to show a Battery EV at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next month, 12 full years after they began leasing the RAV4 EV to fleets in California, and 7 years after 328 private citizens got their h

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Detroit Toyota Concept Auto 100

Revenge of the Electric Car

DECEMBER 8, 2008

The talented Kristen Reeves produced this wonderful video segment on AC Propulsion and their world class electric vehicle drive technology. For the past 3 years AC Propulsion has been converting gasoline Scion xBs to 100% electric drive with their phenomenal AC150gen2 electric drive system. In her video, Kristen interviews AC Propulsion President & CEO Tom Gage, and legendary actor/director and longtime EV enthusiast Tom Hanks.

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Revenge of the Electric Car

DECEMBER 8, 2008

From December 3, 2008 broadcast of “Issues With Jane Velez-Mitchell&# on Headline News. Topic: Are Bailouts the Answer to Economic Woes? Chris Paine (director of “Who Killed the Electric Car?&# ) – …what the government should be doing is writing purchase orders and saying, “Hey, we want something for our money. So we’ll write you a purchase order for, you know, X billion worth of plug-in cars and hybrid trucks.&# Let’s get something for our money and put

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Purchase 2008 Plug-in Plug 100

Revenge of the Electric Car

NOVEMBER 26, 2008

Sacramento’s News 10 reports on the electric cars of Vacaville, CA. In 2003 Vacaville, also known as Voltageville , was miles ahead of other cities with over 100 electric cars on the road in both GM EV1 s and Toyota RAV4-EV s. The California Air Resources Board’s 1990 Zero Emissions Vehicle mandate would have required 10% of all vehicles sold in California to be zero emissions.

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USA EV1 2003 GM 100

Revenge of the Electric Car

NOVEMBER 24, 2008

Air America’s “The Ron Reagan Show&# aired an episode on November 24th, 2008 about what to do about “The Big Three&# automakers. Chris Paine joined Ron live with his views on the bailout for “The Big Three&# , along with thoughts on future innovations in the industry. You can listen to the entire half hour show below. Chris’s interview begins at minute 10.

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Detroit 2008 IDEA America 100

Revenge of the Electric Car

NOVEMBER 25, 2008

Electric car and renewable energy enthusiast Gerry Gaydos shares his thoughts during a recent trip to California in the nicely narrated video short below. Gerry’s pursuit of renewable energy and electric drive began in the summer of 1997 when he spent time with some engineering students preparing a solar electric race car for the World Solar Challenge.

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Recharge Mini E 2001 Renewable 100

Revenge of the Electric Car

NOVEMBER 23, 2008

Check out this CNN segment from Nov 20th 2008. What next for GM, the Volt, and the director of ‘Who Killed the Electric Car’ … Tags: EV News Inside Track Who Killed the Electric Car GM Chevy Volt Detroit.

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Electric Cars Volt Detroit GM 100

Revenge of the Electric Car

NOVEMBER 12, 2008

It’s alive! It’s alive! It’s alive! My brand new silver all-electric Tesla Roadster sportscar (#23) arrived by truck in Los Angeles yesterday. Shrouded in plastic and tucked into the back of a semi with three other Tesla’s, it waited to be rolled onto the streets of Los Angeles. My nervousness turned to pure joy as it eased down and I got to drive it into the showroom for its final set of checks.

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Los Angeles EV1 Tesla Saturn 100

Revenge of the Electric Car

NOVEMBER 8, 2008

Saturday September 27th, 2008 : Immediately after the Santa Monica 2008 AltCarExpo , “ Who Killed the Electric Car? &# Director Chris Paine graciously hosted Plug In America ’s very first fundraiser at his PV+EV residence in Culver City, CA. GM's amazing Chevy Volt - A 100% electric drive (range extending) plug-in hybrid. Mmmmm.Tesla.

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Revenge of the Electric Car

NOVEMBER 7, 2008

“It’s gonna be Earth Day on STEROIDS !&# That’s how EV fan Paul Thomas lured us to the sun-scorched Barona Drag Strip to film this year’s Kick Gas Festival. Barona has seen many grudge matches over the years, but this was one we couldn’t miss; the first head to head between electric dragsters and old school gas guzzlers.

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2008 Gas San Diego ZeroTruck 100

Revenge of the Electric Car

NOVEMBER 6, 2008

0 to 20 in seconds, pedaling optional. Three weeks ago we spent the day shooting at the Kick Gas Festival in San Diego. One of our favorite diversions was testing the electric bikes. I’ve always been skeptical about e-bikes. Why waste electricity when you can just pedal? Well, that day changed our minds. Electric bikes could well be the secret weapon of the EV revolution.

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Revenge of the Electric Car

NOVEMBER 3, 2008

Shooting in a rain storm at the Blue Lagoon. It’s really hard to beat a week in Iceland. With the conference over, we went on a tour tracking down electric cars and the clean electricity to power them. With our Icelandic Camera Operator Bjorn Helgason. Highlights the second half included an unlikely interview in the spectacular black lava “Blue Lagoon&# hot springs.

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Iceland Mitsubishi Water Gasoline-Electric 100

Revenge of the Electric Car

NOVEMBER 3, 2008

A couple weeks ago, I read about the Rocky Mountain Institute’s gathering of EV interests in Portland for “Smart Garage.&# The list of invitees was pretty impressive with representation from, “auto manufacturers like Nissan and GM, utilities such as PG&E and Duke Energy, IBM, P&G, Wal-Mart and Google, among many others&#. Amory Lovins.

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Future Portland Google Grid 100

Revenge of the Electric Car

OCTOBER 27, 2008

The web was buzzing last week with stories about BMW’s MINI E. To recap, BMW will be leasing 500 MINI Es from dealers in New York, New Jersey and Southern California starting some time early in 2009. To be considered for one of these cars, you have to go to [link] and sign up, but remember, they are only going to consider you if you live in one of the regions cited above.

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BMW Mini E Electric Cars Cars 100

Revenge of the Electric Car

OCTOBER 26, 2008

KillaCycle Pilot Scotty Pollacheck "lights 'em up" alongside Team Leader Bill Dube. One of our favorite guests from our shoot in Iceland, Bill Dube and his KillaCycle Team, made headlines this past week in Colorado with a new EV world speed record. On Thursday October 23rd, 2008, Team KillaCycle set their latest drag racing world record at Bandimere Raceway.

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Motorcycles Iceland Electric Motorcycles Colorado 100

Revenge of the Electric Car

OCTOBER 10, 2008

Bathers in the foreground, geo-thermal power plant in the distance. The rumors are true. Iceland is beautiful. Sitting on the continental plates between Europe and North America, this volcanic island is home to a mere 300,000 people. I came as a guest for Driving Sustainability , Iceland’s conference for the future of cars. They lined up an international and terrific schedule.

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Iceland i-MiEV North America Oil 100

Revenge of the Electric Car

OCTOBER 4, 2008

Interviewing GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz at GM's test track in Detroit. General Motors invited me to Detroit to speak on a panel at its 100th anniversary along with a small group of other “outside voices&#. Since GM’s Vice Chairman, Bob Lutz planned to unveil the Chevy Volt production prototype, we decided to take our film crew. We knew we were being pulled into GM’s PR machine, but we wanted to hear their side of the story and accept their offer - If GM was once again comm

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Detroit GM Volt EV1 100

Revenge of the Electric Car

OCTOBER 25, 2008

The automotive and green electric vehicle blogosphere has been abuzz with talk of the BMW MINI E ever since July 9th, 2008, when AutoblogGreen published the rumor that 500 of the intriguing new electric cars would be released later this year in California. Chris Paine’s docudrama “ Who Killed the Electric Car &# has raised awareness that plug-in electric vehicles are possible, and the demand for plug-in electric vehicles has never been higher.

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Mini E BMW Power Powered 100

Revenge of the Electric Car

OCTOBER 23, 2008

Lots going on with batteries now, as John O’Dell’s piece below illustrates. GM has been saying for a while now that they had picked their supplier for the LiIon battery in the Volt, but they weren’t prepared to announce who it was. MIT spinoff A123 was a personal favorite, also Germany’s Continental was in the running, but it was LG Chem subsidiary and Detroit based Compact Power, Inc. that got the nod.

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Volt GM Batteries Battery 100

Revenge of the Electric Car

NOVEMBER 20, 2008

Stefano readies for a Solartaxi test drive. This summer Swiss visionary Louis Palmer and his friendly team made several stops in Southern California on their global whirlwind tour with their spectacular Solartaxi Electric Vehicle. One of the stops was at AeroVironment in Simi Valley. Solartaxi parked at AeroVironment - Simi Valley, CA. The Solartaxi is a realization of one of Louis’ childhood dreams : to drive a zero emissions solar powered electric car around the world.

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Molten Salt Solar Grid Recharge 100

Revenge of the Electric Car

DECEMBER 3, 2008

My wife, Zan, and I were recently on the Big Island, Hawaii, and while there we toured the state’s only geothermal plant. It’s located close to the town of Hilo on the island’s east side and on the flank of Kilauea, the world’s most active volcano. Hawaii's 30 megawatt geothermal control room. This is the entire control room of the 30 megawatt facility.

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Hawaii Renewable Energy San Francisco 100

Revenge of the Electric Car

NOVEMBER 7, 2008

Suffice to say, all of GM’s development programs including the Volt are threatened. For all of GM’s industrial successes and environmental failures, many elements of the American economy including the advertising-dependent entertainment industry — rise and fall with its fortunes. G.M. Says U.S. Cash Is Its Best Hope. By Bill Vlasic and Nick Bunkley for the NY Times.

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