DVD Review: “Who Killed the Electric Car?”

I was still wondering who killed off the flying car, but I guess that’s another film altogether. A very thought-provoking and compelling documentary that sets out to answer the title question. It showcases a good mix of interviews with industry insiders, politicians and a small but passionate group of former electric car owners (one of whom is the director). Though there are no clear-cut answers (and honestly, when are there?), the film leaves us with a list of suspects ranging from oil companies to the government and even consumers like ourselves. It doesn’t delve too far into any far-flung conspiracy theories, which is definitely in its favor. I was rather surprised to see how little the film itself addressed the gas/electric hybrid vehicles on the market now, but those are covered more in-depth in the included featurette Jump-Starting the Future, which outlines new and upcoming technologies that are available in the electric car’s absence. Other special features include a handful of deleted scenes; a music video by Meeky Rosie of the movie’s theme song “Forever”; and a bunch of previews for other movies (16 by my count).