- General Motors tells Inside Line it is planning to keep a low profile on the red carpet for Friday's theatrical premiere of the new documentary Revenge of the Electric Car.
- The sequel to Who Killed the Electric Car? features former GM vice chairman Bob Lutz in a major role.
- The movie opens tomorrow in Los Angeles, New York City and Huntington, New York, before moving on to select cities in the U.S.
DETROIT — General Motors tells Inside Line it is planning to keep a low profile on the red carpet for Friday's theatrical premiere of the new documentary Revenge of the Electric Car.
"We have no plans for sponsorship or anything major," said Rob Peterson, a GM spokesman in a Thursday phone call with Inside Line. "It's a documentary. We provided a lot of access in certain situations."
Nissan told Inside Line it is "supporting" the movie in several ways, including hosting a special screening on October 28 in Nashville, Tennessee, to raise money for Urban Green Lab. Tickets to that event are $40 each and benefit the nonprofit community center dedicated to sustainable living. Nissan is also giving away movie tickets to Leaf owners in cities including Seattle, San Francisco and San Diego.
The Japanese automaker held a pre-screening of the movie for Leaf owners on Wednesday night in Los Angeles.
"We're working with Revenge and (director) Chris Paine to support the movie," said Katherine Zachary, a Nissan North America spokesperson, in a phone conversation with Inside Line. "We believe in the movie."
She added: "We did not fund the movie. We had no editorial control or content. We provided access to a little behind-the-scenes on Leaf development. We are thrilled about the movie."
Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn, who attended the debut of the documentary in April at the Tribeca Film Festival, will not attend the theatrical premiere, she said.
Tesla will host a private after-party following the movie's theatrical debut at a Tesla showroom in Los Angeles, said the Los Angeles Times.
The sequel to Who Killed the Electric Car? features former GM vice chairman Bob Lutz in a major role. The original film accused the auto industry and oil companies of destroying GM's EV1. The new film chronicles the development of the plug-in Chevrolet Volt in what amounts to a story of corporate redemption with a happy ending.
"Last time we followed a group of activists fighting from the outside," said Chris Paine in a director's statement posted on the film's Web site. "This time, we follow four entrepreneurs battling from the inside. Each one let us in on their journey over three years on condition that we would not release any footage until 2011."
Paine, who used to be described as the scourge of General Motors, now drives a Volt, a Leaf and a Tesla Roadster, according to the automakers.
The documentary focuses on Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Nissan's Ghosn, Lutz and Greg "Gadget" Abbott, who is described as a "car converter" who "sets out to prove you can do it yourself."
The movie opens tomorrow in Los Angeles, New York City and Huntington, New York, before moving on to select cities in the U.S.
Inside Line says: This time it's an insider's film about the EV — not an adversarial one.
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viss1 says:
06:34 AM, 10/21/2011
The movie premieres in LA, NYC, and... Huntington? Which of these is not like the other...
vantageman says:
06:15 AM, 10/21/2011
I see how ignorrant the people here are, for one in America big trucks sell because of business thats why trucks are number one here not because everyone drives a truck. Full size suvs too the person that stated they were ARE NOT selling well right now not even sure where you got that. Too everyone else that is super ignorrant and no more than lemmings playing follow the ignorrant leader......last time I checked Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Infiniti, Ford, Mercedes 16 23 for a GLK seriously? thats as much as a tahoe V8, BMW, Audi, VW, the list goes on makes plenty of gas guzzlers at least be smart enough to take your head out of the hole and look around......
dmpete says:
03:39 AM, 10/21/2011
I will not be one of those people who say never, but until the life span of a battery is more than say 40 miles, The electric car won't work, things in this country are too spread out, especially if you don't live in the city, the vast majority of people who work in the big cities don't live there, they commute, and the total commute is more than 40 miles a lot of times. The reason big cars/trucks are selling is because people feel safer in them and they are more practical for their daily lives. I wish everyone would get off the band wagon of electric, It is going to be way, way more expensive in the long run than gas. What these companies aren't telling you, is how much energy these cars suck up. It takes a lot of power to charge them batteries day in and day out.
yamahr1 says:
07:35 PM, 10/20/2011
miscpippa says:
02:11 PM, 10/20/2011
Split personality: GM also builds the Escalade.
Yes, and Toyota also builds the Sequoia and Nissan also builds the Armada. As jlcii says, the only hybrid option in those large SUVs is the Escalade (and siblings, the Tahoe and Yukon.)
jlcii says:
05:41 PM, 10/20/2011
Yet by the same token, if you can afford it, shouldn't you get what you want?
jlcii says:
05:38 PM, 10/20/2011
And correction- Here in the U.S., the big trucks and SUV'S are what is selling. In other parts of the world, they've been embracing the small car just fine. It's America's obsession with "bigger is better" that has us in trouble...
jlcii says:
05:32 PM, 10/20/2011
@ miscpippa- Which comes as a Hybrid...
bankerdanny says:
04:58 PM, 10/20/2011
The masses can't afford an Escalade either and the typical full size pickup is not exactly cheap. Both are however extremely profitable, so the 'masses' don't need to buy them.
iancar says:
04:01 PM, 10/20/2011
Everyone has an iPhone knew the fact that batteries are short lived, unreliable, and lied all the time. I still don't understand why humans must abandon an abundant and relatively cheap resources to stop themselves from going continuous journeys. That makes no sense.
agnh says:
03:22 PM, 10/20/2011
The reality is that EV's are not where the profits currently(excuse the pun)are for manufacturers, and they won't be truly profitable for years to come.
Large trucks and SUVs are where most manufacturers make their real money and have been for decades. The only reason manufacturers are even developing or selling EVs now is due to CAFE numbers and they're more than happy to spin it into positive press.