Who killed the EV1?

While many Americans were warming up to SUVs and bigger cars, a drama was playing out in California around the EV1, General Motors' all-electric sedan. The story of the EV1, captured in the documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car," demonstrates just how deeply Americans are attached to cars and the power of corporations and regulators. The EV1, first released in 1996, was part of a wave of electric vehicles created to meet a California mandate, which was eventually repealed in a decision influenced by the oil and auto industries. Despite very happy drivers, many of the electric cars to meet the mandate were later rounded up by automakers and destroyed by the early 2000s, creating deep distrust among some of the U.S. public and automakers.