Revenge of the Electric Car (2011) User Reviews

Way better than I expected it to be.

[gg-uninstall · 8/10 · 25 January 2012]

I wanted to see this documentary because I consider electric engines to be the future of the automotive industry, judging by the data that we now have. I have not seen the apparent prequel to this documentary, "Who killed the electric car?".

I regularly refer to IMDb as an indication of whether I may like a movie or not, and was not expecting much from a movie with a 5.8 score. As soon as the movie started, I was surprised that it looked like a well-made, high production value documentary with substance and actual behind-the-scenes footage of the industry. It has many interviews with Elon Musk and Bob Lutz from GM made for the film and covers the subject matter from multiple approaches.

It is a very enjoyable and informative documentary that actually made me feel good about the future.

4/5

selective lesser doc than the original

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 1 June 2015]

Director Chris Paine of 'Who Killed the Electric Car?' follows up with this documentary about 4 electric car programs starting from 2007. Bob Lutz from GM was anti-EV until he had a complete 180 switch and started pushing for the Volt. Entrapeneur Elon Musk is driving California upstart Tesla Motors. Carlos Ghosn is the hard-driving CEO of Nissan Renault developing the Leaf for the mass market. Gadget Abbott is doing small scale electric conversions of gasoline cars. The film follows the four separate approaches as they face ups-and-downs.

I don't like the title. It's too strident. It would be better as 'Return of the Electric Car'. It's kind of violent and it automatically lays claim that EVs are going to win over gasoline. Return would be less forceful and more correct. I also wonder why the movie limits to just those four cases. It could make passing references to other cars like the Prius especially since it mentions Toyota. It feels selective. Gadget Abbott's addition seems meaningless in the grand scheme of things. Did he even sell one car? It's a rather unimpressive documentary until the financial crisis hits. Then there are some drama with Elon Musk and GM. That part is interesting and gives something good to this selective doc. It doesn't have the same intensity as the first one which was a great diatribe against a good villain. This is more like an in-depth TV report on PBS.

Vroom! The Electric Car Returns With A Vengeance

[StrictlyConfidential · 6/10 · 2 June 2020]

When it comes to environmentally-friendly automobiles - The whole idea, in this day and age, is to build them fast, fun, and clean. But (as this documentary clearly points out) - This isn't as easy a task to achieve as it may sound.

For the most part - "Revenge of the Electric Car" was a fairly satisfying presentation. But, it still leaves the mass-production of such a vehicle as being something that has yet to be fully realized.

Beautiful Visuals, Great Insight... ROTEC will not disappoint!

[geomindy · 21 July 2011]

You don't need to see "Who Killed the Electric Car" before this to enjoy "Revenge..." but the movie will be that much sweeter if you have. Where "Who Killed..." leaves you all fired up and asking what the world has come to, "Revenge..." leaves you excited and hopeful and opens your eyes to several different approaches to the future of transportation. GM's approach with the Chevy Volt seems tongue-in-cheek at first, but the twist in the movie sort of lets you see the world through their eyes and reminds you that not all big car companies are purely evil. Nissan's approach comes off more calculated, but with a lot of brains and money invested in doing it right with the Leaf. Then comes the sporty top-of-the-line Tesla, which leaves any car enthusiast drooling, and is so beautiful to look at. You get some insight into how much it takes to get a new car off the ground, and this movie really gives you the feeling that you are in the boardroom (and at home) with the big guys (and the little guys...). Last but not least, you get to see a visionary electric vehicle builder/fixer/converter extraordinaire in Reverand Gadget's Left Coast Electrics. Through all of the rollercoasters in his business and personal life, he remains dedicated to the cause and appears to be coming out on top. I won't spoil it, but the very last scene in this movie had me tearing up with joy!

This movie is truly inspiring. It is visually exciting, with great cinematography and elegant editing. Kudos to Chris Paine and all of his team who made this film happen!

Don't miss this movie when it comes to a theatre near you! And if you are trying to decide on what your next car will be, you MUST see this movie before you make that purchase!!! (or before you extend the life of your favorite old beater by converting it to electric!)

Good doc but not without issues

[suripat · 7/10 · 3 February 2020]

The dark vibe on this documentary was almost unbearable. But it's good being able to watch it eleven years later and see that the e-market is thriving. The doc gives an almost biased view of desiring that the "rocket guy" and GM fails. Nonetheless Tesla continues to improve its financial position with strong results and increased its cash position to now $6.3 billion. GM is also going well. Like the guy in the end said, "only time will tell" so this deserves a good 7 for great production. But those two negative guys should not have a say in the next doc, my suggestion.

Outstanding comparative business survey of automotive business

[gvseostud · 9/10 · 14 February 2012]

Many reviewers seem to miss the point of this documentary, which is to document the varied approach businesses are taking to react to the new technology of the electric car. The comparisons captured between the Nissan approach versus the GM approach versus the Tesla approach are very revealing of the strengths and shortcomings of these different companies. Even Netflix gets it wrong when they categorize this movie as a Political documentary, when it is actually a Business documentary.

This movie is an instant classic for business school audiences in particular, and yet is still entertaining and engaging enough for very general audiences. Without spoiling, one scene that is particularly revealing is when two competitor's see a third's production product at an auto show, and seem unable or unwilling to understand the threat to their respective businesses.

Stunning access to a thrilling competition for a new technology in which the stakes could not be higher. Every MBA class in the world should see this movie as a precondition to graduate. 9 stars plus.

Great sequel to "Who Killed the Electric Car".

[gparob · 9/10 · 28 June 2011]

Bottom line- if you liked "Who Killed the Electric Car", you'll like "Revenge of the Electric Car". Where "Who" pointed fingers at people, government, and industry, "Revenge" tells the story of those working hard to bring about a renaissance of the Electric Car. This makes for a different tone in the movie, but the subject matter will seem familiar. Rather than tell the whole story, the movie focuses on representatives. Featured are a couple of large car companies, one making a battery electric, one making a extended range battery electric, a small car company battling amazing odds, and a small shop owner living his dream- converting gas engined cars with the highest possible quality, using carefully selected parts to try to out-do the major car companies. How do you out-do a major car company? Well, that's up to you, isn't it? It could be style, it could be uniqueness, it could be cost. In the case of the EV it could be range or charging time, top speed or durability. Sit back and relax, and drink it all in, as the story unfolds before you. This documentary is easily one of the finest I've seen in a long time. Thanks to the team for making the movie, and a particular thanks to the person who did the opening credits.

Great Film

[sonnyandsal · 10/10 · 23 December 2011]

Funny how documentaries often get dissed about their subject matter. You don't have to like electric cars to watch a documentary about electric cars. Many documentaries seem to be crudely shot. The video and audio quality of the film rivals that of some major motion picture studios. As a film, I think this is a wonderful work of art. As for the subject matter and the way the film presents it, I like how the film focuses on 4 very different yet very charismatic characters. The film doesn't bore the viewer with stats and boring talking heads (which often happens in documentaries). It does a good job of getting out of the way and letting the characters shine. Along the way, the viewer learns a thing or two about electric cars. Seems like a clever way to raise awareness about a subject matter that I personally find interesting. As for the subject matter, we went from black and white televisions to color; from 8-tracks to cassettes to mini-discs to CD's to mp3s. There is no denying that going from internal combustion to electric is a better technology on so many fronts: scientific, technological, geo-political, environmental, etc. Hopefully this film convinces people to at least have an open mind. There are worse ways to spend a night than being informed and entertained. I loved it.

so American, so conspiracy, so lacking scientific background

[martin-tuky-275-201418 · 4/10 · 2 February 2012]

The movie is shallow in the look at the issues with the automotive industry today. They mistake the change in the consumer trends for something that is a real way forward.

AS long as we don't have batteries, EV is useless. As long as electricity is produced from oil and gas, EV is useless.

The cheerful mood for the idea through the movie is definitely nice. The underdog of Tesla "showing it to the big guys" is very nicely done. (but not true...) The thing I LOVE about this movie, is that it focuses on the technology under the dash - not the useless flashy touch this or that.

It is a good thing that this movie exists, but it less of a true unbiased documentary than a popular mechanics view of US efforts to catch up.

The one thing is that I'd like to see US manufacturers to focus on other ideas as well. (since only part of the EV cars is actually useful for the next 50 years) Rest of the world is not showing up with old technology and lost of smiles, they actually, quietly do something.

The kind of men it takes to make the machines

[ev_flivver · 1 August 2011]

Contains spoiler

RotEC is a movie not so much about the cars as about the people behind them. It covers the struggles, wins and losses of Bob Lutz of GM (Chevy Volt), Elon Musk (Tesla), Carlos Ghosn (Nissan Leaf) and Greg "Gadget" Abbott (Left Coast Electric). I was struck by several things. First, Bob Lutz and Elon Musk have a huge amount of swagger, personality and self-confidence, which may also be described as being "full of yourself". On the other hand, you probably need a lot of that to make it in the business. Lutz has been around for years in the industry, probably knows everybody, could walk away at any time and retire, but sticks with the job to preserve his "legacy". By the end of the movie, when he does retire, he reminded me of a former President or General, knowing that the world has moved on, and he's no longer critical to its functioning. It's bittersweet, but he might be called out of retirement at any time....

As for Elon Musk, watching him was like watching a stunt flier at an air show who gets really, really close to the ground one too many times. As an aside, his entire family is pretty dynamic. His sister is a movie producer and his brother runs a social media business. Anyway, it seemed like most of the movie was just him telling Tesla employees, "C'mon guys, we have to get this done". I got the impression the movie didn't show the back room stuff where the hardball decisions were made. The movie was pretty good at showing you just how close to the edge of failure he seemed to live, when he had a warehouse full of cars needing rework, and creditors breathing down his neck. In spite of everything, all the people saying this is the end, get ready for bankruptcy, etc., Tesla survives, cars are delivered and now he's bringing up the Model S factory in Fremont CA. The best line in the movie about him was something to the effect of "I have to admire the guy, he's really doing something, as opposed to people who sit around and criticize and tell you how you will fail."

As for Nissan, I've heard Ghosn speak before about the LEAF, but RotEC shows him as slightly cut-throat, which was new for me. He's pretty swaggering as well, but in an outwardly friendly way. I really enjoyed him telling a Nissan Exec, "Every day they aren't building a car is a good day for us." He got Nissan in a crouch, and I think he pounced when Nissan announced the price of the Leaf. Is Th!nk the first casualty? He probably has more up his sleeve...

The guy I like best, and can relate to the best was Greg Abbott, referred to simply as Gadget. Man, if I knew half what that guy knows about building stuff, that would be pretty cool. He had this really great garage that did ev conversions, but it was burned to the ground by what the movie said was random arson. No cars, no tools, no shop, nothing. As he's digging around through the rubble, he finds an undamaged charge controller with its LED light still on. It brought a tear to my eye when he says "With this, I can build a car!" Go man, go. Eventually, he brings up Left Coast Electric again, and the movie closes with him and his wife driving from LA to Palm Springs in his awesomely cool ev conversion. It was a very upbeat and inspiring ending.

Even (and much) better than "Who Killed the Electric Car"?

[cynthiaqiu · 10/10 · 30 June 2012]

I feel this movie deserves a fair rating of 10. On this particular topic, maybe a decade from now, maybe even less than that, people are going to look at petroleum-based cars and ask "why?". It is not a debate on whether electric cars work, we should be asking ourselves, why it took so long for us to finally have them. I am baffled by reviews that say this is conspiracy, unrealistic - well 100% electric cars are here, as a matter of fact, they were here before the petroleum- based cars, just do some research or like I did, go to Edison and Hord Winter Estates in Fort Myers, FL.

This is not why IMHO a 10 is not an extreme for this particular movie, it gives the viewers so much reality, on how difficult it is to pursue one's passion and life-long dream, how much stress, humiliation, and hardship they have to go through to overcome a world that resists changes for whatever reasons(stubbornness, money, or sometimes just not being well-informed), to succeed and influence. It opens up so much more for us to question(who's there to conspire for one), to learn and to make better, well-informed decisions when it comes to our own actions.

Appropriately named documentary

[Bernie4444 · 8/10 · 18 January 2024]

This may be a tad dated.

This excellent documentary starts where "Who Killed the Electric Car?" left off. Only this time we get to go behind the closed doors of Nissan, GM, and the Silicon Valley start-up Tesla Motors. We seem to concentrate more on the people behind the project than the project itself.

Many times, we are left with the question will the company survive or not. We watch technology the sings and swims. We watch as financing gets scarce. Nerves fray and wonder about sincerity.

There is lots of great footage of cars and their making. In one scene where robots were making leaves, I turned to my wife and suggested that it looked like a scene from "Atlas Shrugged Part 1". She said it reminded her of "The Terminator". Could be because Arnold was in the documentary.

I was disappointed to find there was no Ed Begley Jr. In the presentation as he is a great advocate of electric cars.

In the end, it was sort of a commercial for the targeted companies. Ford Fusion gets a two-second flash. I will watch this over again as it moves fast enough to miss some of the subtleties.

And for people that gauge their DVD by the number of extras, you will not be disappointed with the variety and usefulness of the extras.

By the way, do you think the neighbor would notice the bright orange cable plugged into their outdoor lamp? On a serious side, we now have several charging stations at the local university and the used book store. Could use more but it is a start.

You may want to watch an oldy but goodie Who Killed the Electric Car? (2006).

Electric cars in hindsight, part two

[thesupershadow · 8/10 · 27 July 2021]

Firstly, I had no idea there was a sequel to the documentary 'who killed the electric car?'. ''There is an inevitability to this technology.'' Interviews with actors like Danny Devito, charts the rise of Tesla and Elon Musk. 'This is really just the beginning of the beginning!'' ''The car company of the future'' ''What we're witnessing now is probably the most significant revolution of our lifetime in Autos'' Expect early electric restro-mods too.

One interesting segment of this documentary is how the fledgling electric car industry coincided with the global economy crash, the recession, and the unfortunate bankruptcy of people's lives; witnessing both established car brands facing competition from newer electric brands was fascinating, seeing interviews from the days before the EV mainstream boom.

There's a very catchy song during the rebuilding of an electric retro-mod business, in hindsight they could've used more pop music to make this documentary feel less formal. They call this story ''act two in the heroes journey, the make or break moment.'' Overall, this documentary is about people's leap of faith into the world of electric vehicles, their inevitable future. Watch it!

A Nutshell Review: Revenge of the Electric Car

[DICK STEEL · 17 September 2011]

I've only managed to watch Who Killed The Electric Car? on DVD since it didn't manage to get a theatrical release here, and I was intrigued at how director Chris Paine managed to weave his documentary into a sort of murder-mystery that exposes how the environmentally friendly car EV1 got systematically canned despite it being a relatively superior product with advantageous to be reaped against the more conventional motor vehicle, even though it showed so much potential in being environmentally friendly. But profits and strange bedfellows meant an early death for the electric car, until now.

It's a known fact that fossil fuels are finite, and the day will come when we no longer have them in abundance to supply our energy needs. Alternative fuels are slowly becoming a necessity, and with the shifts in mindsets come the shift in business propositions, forcing a relook into the viability of the electric vehicle, which Paine now revisits through a number of years spanning 2007 until today, where once opponents to the electric car such as GM's Bob Lutz have now become proponents as they realize the competitiveness, or the lack thereof, of the automobile industry in the USA will severely lack behind rivals from overseas as they look to the creation of electric vehicles.

Paine's documentary narrated by Tim Robbins takes on a distinct and different look and feel from its predecessor, opting to go with personalities to fuel the film forward, and to be honest it's a real treat to be going behind the scenes to the boardrooms where decisions get made and the factory design and assembly areas to see first hand how prototypes get made, tested, approved or rejected. From big players like General Motors to Nissan in Japan, to smaller upstarts such as Tesla Motors in Palo Alto, we get to listen in to the various woes faced by players in the industry as they struggle through diminishing cash flows no thanks to the financial institutions meltdown in recent years, and how that impacted their staying afloat, what more trying to come out with a vehicle that has to boast respectable outputs compared to conventional vehicles, and the challenges faced with battery life.

It also had star power, albeit used ever so briefly from Danny DeVito to Jon Favreau as talking heads, although Bob Lutz and even Carlos Ghosn of Nissan became unlikely engrossing personalities where we get a peek into their work ethics. Elon Musk of Tesla was particularly engaging, of someone who had earned his fortune being the founder of Paypal, entering cutting edge companies such as SpaceX and Tesla to try and make the world a better and more interesting place, but being cut down to size for what would be entrepreneurs not being second time lucky with their ventures. In fact, Musk got made to look somewhat vulnerable for a CEO, as well as dodgy at times due to failure to deliver as promised, and shockingly admitting to baiting and switching. Captured on video.

Making its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year on April 22 to coincide with Earth Day to lend it some street cred gravitas, Revenge of the Electric Car doesn't really explore the comeback of the vehicle much less than it being a film about the possible powerhouses and decision makers in a position to bring about major changes to the industry. It isn't easy, and if I take a look at our own backyard the infrastructure isn't there yet to make it easy nor mass market, but I suppose that day will come one day, and hopefully within my lifetime where I can get to own something affordable that takes me from Point A to B with zero pollution.

A business documentary, case studies for entrepreneurs and filmakers

[JustHavingALook · 8/10 · 16 October 2022]

Highly recommended to whoever is thinking about making a documentary.

It shows the persistence it takes to film your subjects for months (or years?) and be ready at a moment's notice.

For the regular guy: journey into the challenges of tapping into a new segment of a very competitive and regulated market.

Best thing: great great footage of the main subjects. I'd say nowadays it would be impossible to follow Musk for so long and interact with him on a personal level. Kudos to the director.

The struggles and challenges the different guys (GM, Nissan, Tesla, DIY guy) are facing are fascinating and help comprehend human ambition in different respects. Not only money, but also fame, respect, self worth are what drive humans to create better things

the part with the DYI/repair guy is indeed emotional and neatly edited.

Emotional

[ersbel · 24 June 2017]

There is no reason in this piece of film. Only hysterics. More than an hour of emotion to feed the people who want to be angry at something.

There was an electric car. It is gone. The audience gets to see the crushed car bodies nicely done from the air. How was that car? There is no technical description. No parameters. Just the feeling of an actor. Sure, as a rich actor he probably droves lots of cars, but the comparison was probably left on the editing floor.

And that miracle car was literally crushed. Why? No answer. The gesture is so dramatic and so illogical and the speakers talk about the before and after, never why.

As for specialists? A politician who does not like the air he breathes so he builds a career in that place. Reliable. Was he one of the paper pushers who helped kill that electric car? Who cares! He is on "our side" so he must be a "good guy". Other technical people: an actor, one so busy you can see him taking time to become an engineer. And a columnist. He is an English major probably, but he heard a lot of hearsay back in the day when he was doing filed work instead of just reading the blogs as today.

So watch it, if you need to fuel your confirmation bias.

A documentary for the future

[clarencebutler · 6 September 2018]

With the dawning of sustainable energy and electric cars now is the best time to watch this documentary on green energy in general and the electric car industry in particular. The race is clearly interesting not only between the various gas variants- diesel, petrol and their electric counterparts but also among various companies within the sectors. This is a fascinating documentary and you will come out well enlightened for the future we are all embarking.