As an electric vehicle breaks the 515 kmh (320 mph) speed record, Chris Paine’s new film “Revenge of the Electric Car” is making waves on the web. It’s the second stage of his saga, following his documentary “Who Killed the Electric Car?”, released in 2006. It’s an opportunity to look at how mentalities have evolved with regard to the electric car.
In the face of problems caused by global warming and an explosion in oil prices, the collective conscience is evolving at high speed as far as sustainable mobility is concerned. Not only are manufacturers demonstrating close interest in the electric car, which will be the guest of honour at the next Paris Motor Show, but an increasing number of governments are claiming to be ready to invest both in charging infrastructures and in terms of encouraging sales by subsidising consumers.
It’s difficult to have prejudices against electric mobility at a time when the electric car is beating speed records. Fitted with an 800-HP electric engine and Lithium-ion batteries, the *Venturi "Jamais Contente" has just established a new world record, with an average of more than 495 km/h (308 mph) over the distance of 1 kilometre in both directions, and officially recorded a maximum speed of 515 km/h (320 mph)! Cumulating technological innovations and winning over more and more drivers, the electric car certainly has a bright future ahead of it.
A turning point in the history of electric mobility
We have really moved on from the situation described in Chris Paine’s 2006 documentary. “Who Killed the Electric Car?”* focused on the mysterious disappearance of the General Motors EV1, the first mass-produced electric car in the United States, made between 1996 and 2001. This controversial and acclaimed documentary explored the creation, limited commercialisation and finally the destruction of this electric vehicle; it directly blamed the oil lobbies of the State of California.
Five years later, a new chapter in the history of electric mobility is being written. So Chris Paine picked up his camera to direct “Revenge of the Electric Car.” Produced in Los Angeles, this new opus will be released in 2011. Chris Paine has announced that he will be covering all the different aspects of electric mobility. Moreover, as a special guest of General Motors, he started the filming in one of their plants.
The film hopes to bear witness to how the automotive industry has adapted to a new paradigm. The main factors slowing down this progress and the emergence of the electric vehicle will also be addressed in order to answer the crucial question: how to get combustion engines to live in harmony with electric mobility?
If you want to see what went on backstage during filming and what the crew thought, don’t hesitate to check out the blog of the film. Chris Paine is open to all suggestions: on this web page, he welcomes ideas and initiatives from web users concerning electric mobility.
*Venturi Jamais Contente is its nickname in France; elsewhere it’s known as the Venturi Buckeye Bullet.
