The 1996 documentary Who Killed the Electric Car? explores the factors behind the demise of General Motors' EV1, the popular and elusive electric car of the early 1990s. The EVI was popular with the public and was clean, fast and efficient. This video sets out to solve what is effectively a murder mystery: the plug was pulled on the EV1 in 2002 after only 1,000 of these cars were produced by GM, most of which were subsequently destroyed by the company at an undisclosed location in Arizona. desert. It's evident that the electric car faced significant opposition in California during its short life. In terms of political forces, the EV1 was opposed in principle by the US federal government, which effectively joined the automakers in a lawsuit against California for implementing the regulations that inspired the development of the electric car. The US government has also discouraged the popularity of the electric car by offering incredibly high tax incentives to buyers of large, fuel-guzzling vehicles like the Hummer. The California Air Resources Board, or CARB, initiated the initial incentive for electric car development with its zero-emission regulations for automakers, but ultimately CARB was clearly seen to buckle under pressure from the industry and has given its support to the development of hydrogen fuel. cellular vehicles. The electric car has also been questioned by economic factors. Since the EV1 was not mass-produced, it was never able to benefit from the cost reductions resulting from economies of scale. Because of this, the car was more expensive for consumers, which limited its market to those who could afford it. The social factors contributing to EV1's death are more ambiguous. GM......middle of paper......about 300 miles (compared to 70 miles on the first-gen EV1). Environmentally, air quality in the United States is worse than it was 20 years ago, and consumers have started to notice. This will likely contribute to an increase in demand for zero- and low-emission vehicles. Once again, legislation has been introduced providing tax incentives, rebates and even free parking for buyers of hybrid and electric vehicles. In 2005, over 200,000 hybrid vehicle rebates were collected in the United States, and this number continues to increase. Growing environmental awareness, combined with a responsible American government and improving technology, have contributed to the return of low- or zero-emission vehicles to America. the United States. It remains to be seen whether automakers and oil companies will once again work to halt this progress, or whether they will embrace it as the technology of a more responsible future..