Who Killed the Electric Car?

1. Who Killed the Electric Car? implies that the “common good” is not being served by the decision to abandon electric vehicles and embrace hydrogen technology. Write your own definition of the “common good.” Evaluate General Motors’ decision to kill the electric car program in light of your group’s definition.

2. In your group, decide what, if any, “hidden agenda(s)” the following may have had. You should have at least one piece of solid evidence from the film.

Automobile companies, Oil companies, Filmmakers, Car companies, Federal government, Fans of the electric car, C.A.R.B.

3. There is a complex interaction between business, government, and consumers that determines the availablity of products, policy, and consumer habits. Clarify the attitude of your group toward the roles of business and government. To do so, prioritize the entire list from 1, most important, to 10, least important, and then write just a short sentence to explain each ranking.

The role of business is to

___ make a profit.

___ make a good product.

___ serve the consumer.

___ support government.

___ educate government.

___ educate consumers.

___ improve life.

___ protect the environment.

___ provide consumers with choice.

___ invent solutions to society’s problems.

The role of government is to

___ defend the nation.

___ create a just society.

___ protect the consumer.

___ protect business.

___ regulate business.

___ educate consumers.

___ improve life for all citizens.

___ protect the environment.

___ provide consumers with choice.

___ invent solutions to society’s problems.

4. What one assertion in the film do you strongly disagree with?

5. Why do you think the car manufacturers collected and destroyed the electric vehicles?

6. Did government serve the people in the case of electric cars?

7. Does government have the right to tell companies what to manufacture?

8. Do you agree that those who solve the energy question will change the world?

9. Should the world oil supply be divided evenly according to population, given to those able to pay

the highest price, or reserved for developing nations?

10. What do you think about the use of hydrogen as a fuel?

11. Do you believe electric cars are a reasonable alternative to combustion engines?