Who Killed the Electric Car?
Who Killed the Electric Car?
Take – Home Midterm
Natalie Farrugia
6759091
Professor Larose
SOC3116 D
March 4,2015
1.
A relevant social group is a group of people who share the same set of meanings, or feelings, attached to a specific artifact. In this case, it is all groups of people who feel the same way about the electric car.
There are many relevant social groups involved with the electric car. They include General Motors, the consumers/drivers/fans of the EV1, the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the federal government, Ovonics (battery company), and the oil companies.
General motors is a relevant social group because they are the ones who manufactured and sold the EV1. They originally decided to abide by the state’s law about selling a certain percentage of electric vehicles, but soon after decided to face the consequences of not selling them. They installed poor quality batteries in order to deter consumers even more and argued that they could not make money off of the electric vehicle. GM did not properly, if at all, advertise for their electric vehicle, and when consumers came to them regarding the electric vehicle, the limitations of this vehicle were exaggerated in order to deter them from purchasing or leasing. General Motors took back all EV1s after their leases were up, not allowing the leasee to renew their lease, and crushed all of the remaining EV1s.
The consumers, or fans of the EV1 are a very important relevant social group. This group drove the EV1 and did not want to see it go. They investigated where they were taken and tried to buy them back. They reached out to General Motors in the hopes of saving the EV1, however they were unsuccessful.
The oil companies are another major relevant social group. They knew that they would lose a lot of money if people decided to switch over to the electric vehicle. This is why they decided to kill the electric car before it took off.
The government, in partner with the oil companies, sued
Take – Home Midterm
Natalie Farrugia
6759091
Professor Larose
SOC3116 D
March 4,2015
1.
A relevant social group is a group of people who share the same set of meanings, or feelings, attached to a specific artifact. In this case, it is all groups of people who feel the same way about the electric car.
There are many relevant social groups involved with the electric car. They include General Motors, the consumers/drivers/fans of the EV1, the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the federal government, Ovonics (battery company), and the oil companies.
General motors is a relevant social group because they are the ones who manufactured and sold the EV1. They originally decided to abide by the state’s law about selling a certain percentage of electric vehicles, but soon after decided to face the consequences of not selling them. They installed poor quality batteries in order to deter consumers even more and argued that they could not make money off of the electric vehicle. GM did not properly, if at all, advertise for their electric vehicle, and when consumers came to them regarding the electric vehicle, the limitations of this vehicle were exaggerated in order to deter them from purchasing or leasing. General Motors took back all EV1s after their leases were up, not allowing the leasee to renew their lease, and crushed all of the remaining EV1s.
The consumers, or fans of the EV1 are a very important relevant social group. This group drove the EV1 and did not want to see it go. They investigated where they were taken and tried to buy them back. They reached out to General Motors in the hopes of saving the EV1, however they were unsuccessful.
The oil companies are another major relevant social group. They knew that they would lose a lot of money if people decided to switch over to the electric vehicle. This is why they decided to kill the electric car before it took off.
The government, in partner with the oil companies, sued