EVs: Hollywood Got it Wrong

EV’s: Hollywood Got It All Wrong The Last Chance, starring Lee Majors was released in 1981 based on a 2011 future where internal combustion engines were outlawed. Franklyn Hart, played by Majors was a former race car driver who rebelled against the regime to drive his Porsche race car out west from oil-free tyranny. Today, Porsche produces some of the most sought after electric vehicles including the Tycan generating over 750 horsepower, roughly 100 more than Major’s race car in the movie from a 4 door street legal family sedan. Minority Report, starring Tom Cruise features self driving electric vehicles akin to cryogenic space pods and the examples continue throughout Hollywood dogma. Electric vehicles are tied to a bleak authoritarian future. The reality is a startling contrast and truly allows consumers to reimagine what a vehicle is and offer options, performance and reliability internal combustion engined (ICE) vehicles can never match. We are witnessing a massive transformation of our energy and transportation infrastructure that benefit consumers. These benefits include unprecedented performance compared to ICE vehicles, a budget Chevrolet Bolt has similar performance to BMW’s sports car M3 from the 1990’s. Even more exciting is the rise of boutique EV vehicle manufacturers such as Alpha Motors’ ACE which is a two door sports vehicle reminiscent of a classic British or Italian sports car. Ford has released an electric Mustang, a rumored electric Corvette SUV is in the works and GM’s reintroduction of an all electric Hummer with 1,000 horsepower is able to keep up with super cars. Lets not forget the oil changes, SMOG checks, break jobs, and mechanic visits which are all but eliminated. As consumers, we are beginning to view our vehicles differently, not simply as transportation but part of our technology ecosystem. Integration into our daily lives continues with new potential uses such as Wallbox’s Quasar which turns your EV into a portable battery powering your home. These vehicles will soon become payment gateways, entertainment centers and lifestyle spaces which are open platforms for developers to create experiences. From vehicle share platforms to rolling power storage to computing and data centers, EVs are exciting and allow us to imagine a fun, exciting and vibrant future even if we continue to call it the gas pedal. Lee Majors driving a Porsche 917 in The Last Chase © Argosy Films 1981