Who Killed The Electric Car? review

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Imagine a future where sleek, stylish, energy-efficient cars whizz silently along the streets at 80mph, no longer a slave to black gold nor exhaling fetid fumes. Ten years ago, that vision seemed wholly possible with the manufacture of General Motors’ EV1. Yet it disappeared faster than Michael Schumacher driving the Batmobile... Chris Paine’s documentary is best described as the automotive equivalent of Super Size Me, but stylistically Who Killed... is tougher to swallow. With interviews from celebrity drivers (Mel Gibson!), inventors, government and big business, it’s a frequently disorientating look at how and why this apparent saviour of Mother Earth was sent to the scrap heap. Conspiracy theories hold some water, particularly as answers to why the EV1 was so ruthlessly eradicated.

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine. 

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