Rob Lechner addresses a large crowd before starting the movie "Who Killed the Electric Car?" at Hutchins Street Square in Lodi on Monday night. (Angelina Gervasi/News-Sentinel)

Over 400 gather to watch film on electric cars hosted by Lodi utility

Angela Daniel is concerned about America's reliance on foreign oil and would consider driving an electric car if the technology was more readily available. The stay-at-home mother from Lodi said she is worried that her children will inherit a planet ravaged by the effects of global warming.

"We need to switch to alternative energy sources to extend the life of the earth for all our future generations," she said.

Daniel was one of more than 400 residents who packed Hutchins Street Square's Crete Hall to discuss electric vehicles and watch the film "Who Killed the Electric Car?" The standing room only event, hosted by the Lodi Electric Utility, was intended to keep electric cars in the public awareness, according to Utility Director George Morrow.

"We are seeing people get more sensitive to these issues," Morrow said as he added more chairs to accommodate the growing crowd. "They all want to know 'who killed the electric car?' and why they can't have one in their driveway."

The movie documents the big automakers' adventure into the electric vehicle industry, and the lengths in which they went to get out. In 1990, California passed the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate requiring automakers to produce a small percentage of electric cars. The car companies complied, then fought to get the mandate suspended before taking back their leased electric cars and crushing them in the Arizona desert.

The film, narrated by Martin Sheen, partly blames big oil companies and the auto industry for covering up electric vehicle technology and furthering our dependence on fossil fuels.

Many people in the audience said they were interested in buying an electric car but lacked the information. Gene Corriea said he was there to learn more about electric vehicles.

"It's an interesting subject," he said. "It's something we should have but they won't let us."

Davey Drouin, a teacher from Lodi, got there early to avoid the crowd of people, some of whom waited 15 minutes to get into the theater. He said he was impressed with the turnout.

"I can see this crowd in Santa Cruz or Berkeley, but not Lodi," he said. "I was expecting to be the only one here."

Denise Jefferson, a Galt city planner, said she bought a Civic Hybrid, which runs on gas and electricity, for her daughter.

"I regret not buying a hybrid when I bought myself a new car," she said.

After the movie, Chelsea Sexton answered questions. Sexton, who was featured in the film, is the Executive Director of Plug In America, a nonprofit that promotes electric vehicles. She said that she drives a Saturn but hopes to one day have a wide range of electric cars from which to chose.

"I will not buy another car until I can buy one with a plug on it," she said.

Sexton said that, while it is a struggle to persuade big automakers to produce electric cars, smaller companies such as Tesla Motors can't keep electric cars on their lots. The 2007 all-electric Tesla Roadster, with a starting price tag of $92,000, has completely sold out, she said.

The more economical Chevrolet Volt, unveiled at an auto show this month, is expected to cost around $25,000. The all-electric Volt is designed to run for 40 miles before needing a recharge.

Having alternatives to gasoline-powered vehicles is welcome news to people like Patty Kirsten, a science teacher at Larson Elementary School. Kirsten has her classes studying alternative fuels, and 30 of her students went to see the movie to earn extra credit.

"I'm going to discuss the film with my students," she said. "These kids need to see the reality of what's happening out there."

Contact reporter Matt Brown at mattb@lodinews.com.

First published: Tuesday, January 23, 2007