"Who Killed the Electric Car?"

Mercyhurst brings electric car promoter to Erie
Chelsea Sexton, who helped General Motors market the EV1 battery-electric car of the 1990s and is featured with celebrities Tom Hanks and Mel Gibson in the documentary “Who Killed the Electric Car?,” will be at Mercyhurst College Wednesday, Nov. 1, to introduce the film and answer questions afterward.
An offering of the Guelcher Film Series at Mercyhurst, the documentary will be shown at 2 and 8 p.m. in the Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center. Sexton will also speak at noon to members of the Erie Rotary Club.
At GM, Sexton worked to build a market for alternate-fuel vehicles through partnerships with corporate and nonprofit stakeholders, developed incentives and marketing strategies, and worked directly with drivers. In doing so, Sexton became well known as an advocate for clean, efficient and fun transportation.
When GM ended the EV1 program in 2001, Sexton left the company. She speaks to her involvement in the automotive giant’s program in “Who Killed the Electric Car?,” a 2006 documentary that explores the birth, commercialization and premature death of the bold technology. The film explores the role of the automobile industry, oil companies, government, and consumer indifference in limiting the development and adoption of the battery-electric vehicle.
Today, Sexton consults with auto manufacturers and clean energy providers on bringing alternate-fuel vehicles to the market. She has organized several grassroots campaigns to stop the destruction of electric vehicles and also serves as executive director of Plug In America, a coalition of individuals and groups that advocates for the preservation and manufacture of plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles.