Who Killed the Electric Car
Memorandum
To: Whom It May Concern
From: Yiying “Rachel” Cao
Date: 3/6/2013
Subject: Analysis of who killed the electric car
Background
The problem In 1990s, California was threatened by smog problem, and black cloud appeared in the sky. Air pollution problem resulted in the development of lung cancer and associated diseases in people. The gasoline car was one of the main factors that released carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, which lead to global warming. Facing the risk of devastation of human’s living place and health, California proposed to develop cars that run on clean energy. To comply with the state environmental policy and economic trend, GM produced the first electric car, which was called EV1, and its first presence on the road was in 1996.
The creation and prohibition The aim to replace gasoline car with electric car was to reduce the emission of air pollutants. Plug-in electric vehicles are next generation clean cars that use electric batteries charged from an external source. With smart strategies and a favorable policy framework, these vehicles present an exciting opportunity to reduce air pollution, save drivers more than $1,200 per year on gasoline and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. [Environmental Law & Policy Center] Seeing the business trend of electric cars, the development of electric car has soared in a short period. Many other car companies imitated GM to produce the electric car, and even launch new design electric vehicles to ingratiate consumers’ taste. However, less than a decade, automakers were required to stop producing electric cars. This prohibition was not very understandable for many people, and it was also controversial to balance the technology development and the environment.
The Suspects According to the documentary movie Who killed the Electric Car, consumers, federal government, California Air Resource Board, hydrogen fuel cell, and so forth are regarded as suspects of killing the
To: Whom It May Concern
From: Yiying “Rachel” Cao
Date: 3/6/2013
Subject: Analysis of who killed the electric car
Background
The problem In 1990s, California was threatened by smog problem, and black cloud appeared in the sky. Air pollution problem resulted in the development of lung cancer and associated diseases in people. The gasoline car was one of the main factors that released carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, which lead to global warming. Facing the risk of devastation of human’s living place and health, California proposed to develop cars that run on clean energy. To comply with the state environmental policy and economic trend, GM produced the first electric car, which was called EV1, and its first presence on the road was in 1996.
The creation and prohibition The aim to replace gasoline car with electric car was to reduce the emission of air pollutants. Plug-in electric vehicles are next generation clean cars that use electric batteries charged from an external source. With smart strategies and a favorable policy framework, these vehicles present an exciting opportunity to reduce air pollution, save drivers more than $1,200 per year on gasoline and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. [Environmental Law & Policy Center] Seeing the business trend of electric cars, the development of electric car has soared in a short period. Many other car companies imitated GM to produce the electric car, and even launch new design electric vehicles to ingratiate consumers’ taste. However, less than a decade, automakers were required to stop producing electric cars. This prohibition was not very understandable for many people, and it was also controversial to balance the technology development and the environment.
The Suspects According to the documentary movie Who killed the Electric Car, consumers, federal government, California Air Resource Board, hydrogen fuel cell, and so forth are regarded as suspects of killing the