General Motors has been at the center of one of the nation's largest controversies over clean emissions-cars. In 1996 the company introduced the EV-1 electric car in California and Arizona. Hundreds of the electric cars were soon on the road. Then they all disappeared. The mystery behind their disappearance is the subject of the documentary “Who Killed the Electric Car?” We’re joined by the film’s director Chris Paine, and Chelsea Sexton, a former GM employee who worked on the EV-1 electric car. [rush transcript included]

In the San Francisco Bay Area, environmentalists are planning to hold a clean car rally on Saturday as part of the Step it Up day of action. The rally will feature plug-in hybrid cars, bio-diesel conversions, solar buses and electric cars. A clean car caravan is scheduled to travel to the General Motors dealership in Marin. Activists plan to call on GM to plug in hybrids, not hummers. It won’t be the first time protests have occurred outside a GM dealership in California. General Motors has been at the center of one of the nation's largest controversies over clean emissions-cars.

In 1996 the company introduced the EV-1 electric car in California and Arizona. Hundreds of the electric cars were soon on the road. Then they all disappeared. The mystery behind their disappearance is the subject of the documentary “Who Killed the Electric Car?”

In a moment the film's director Chris Paine and a former General Motors employee, Chelsea Sexton will join us. But first we play an excerpt from the film.

Excerpt of “Who Killed the Electric Car?”

Despite the praise from drivers, General Motors stopped manufacturing the cars and forced all drivers to return their EV-1s. GM was able to do this because none of the cars had actually been sold, only leased. After the electric cars were removed from the road they were sent to Arizona where they were crushed. The film’s director Chris Paine joins us in our firehouse studio today. And in Los Angeles we are joined by Chelsea Sexton, she is a former General Motors employee who worked on the EV-1 electric car. She is now the executive director of Plug In America.

• Chris Paine. Director of the documentary “Who Killed the Electric Car?”
• Chelsea Sexton. Former General Motors employee who worked on the EV-1 electric car. She is now the executive director of Plug In America.