Search Results: paine

Like Phoenix rising from the ashes, the electric car spread its (figurative) wings and rose from the dead. But how did it die in the first place? It seems that by 2006 “as many as 5000 electric cars were destroyed by the major car manufacturers that built them.” One of those cars belonged to actor Danny DeVito who was very unhappy to lose the vehicle he loved. DeVito and vehicle industry experts contributed their opinions to Revenge of the Electric Car, a 2011 documentary directed by Chris Paine and narrated by Tim Robbins.

Revenge of the Electric Car delves into the history of the electric car, particularly General Motors’ EV-1 (the car DeVito loved), and its sudden demise. The documentary then explores the resurgence of this green machine. Perhaps it was the Tesla that brought it back, or maybe Nissan’s Leaf. Certainly General Motors' renewed interest in producing an electric car revived interest in the concept.

Although Revenge of the Electric Car is about the resurgence of interest in such vehicles, it is also a portrait of entrepreneurs and a lesson in business, though not necessarily “as usual.” It looks at the US economic crisis and the impact it had on the redevelopment of the electric car, and it examines the roles of four men instrumental in reviving it: Bob Lutz (GM), Carlos Ghosn (Nissan), Elon Musk (Tesla), and Greg “Gadget” Abbott (independent converter).