NR | 1h 28m | Documentary | 2025
In the battle between electric vehicles and internal combustion engines, electric is winning—at least with the Federal and California state governments. Surely, the politicians carefully weighed the pros and cons, right? Bestselling author and media commentator Larry Elder is not so sure. He does the thorough analysis politicians avoid as the presenter, investigator, and on-camera host of “Electric Vehicles: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,” directed by Mathias Magnason.
The title is rather apt, because Elder honestly concludes electric vehicles (EVs) have aspects that are quite good, while others are bad, and some are downright dreadful. He is most enthusiastic about the driving experience. Thanks to recent advances, EVs are unusually responsive and have plenty of power. That makes them fun to drive, if you so choose. The self-driving autopilot features also receive high marks for providing a smooth, safe ride.
For gearheads, the behind-the-wheel experience might be the most important aspect of EVs. However, it is when Elder investigates the supposed environmental benefits of EVs that the case for electric looks increasingly questionable. Even EV’s most ardent advocates have a hard time getting around the messy realities of the batteries. They are heavy, largely unrecyclable, and potentially toxic, if not handled responsibly.
Risks
Consequently, replacing our national internal combustion fleet with EVs represents a huge national security risk, both in terms of China’s control of the necessary raw materials, and the potential backdoor Trojan horses they might insert into imported electronic components. (According to the film’s national security specialists, like former Air Force and Space Force software officer Nicholas Chaillan, this risk is also present for imported solar components.)Elder and his cast of experts even question the very presumption of EV’s presumed advantages, in terms of emissions. After all, all that electricity must be generated. For the most part, that entails burning oil and coal, which duly produces emissions. When you combine those indirect emissions with the issue of environmentally safe EV battery disposal, electric starts to lose its green luster.
He is probably having more fun visiting car shows as a private citizen, but California could use a chief executive who conducts thorough economic and environmental analysis, in the manner presented throughout this documentary.
Ironically, much of the criticism of EV reflects values often associated (perhaps unjustly) with the left, like the resulting environmental degradation of third world countries, such as Ghana, and the heartless exploitation of child labor in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Magnason keeps the pacing brisk, while the tone is always calm and measured, which produces a smooth and easy viewing experience.
The resulting film was clearly produced by auto enthusiasts, particularly including Elder and his radio colleague, Leon “The Motorman” Kaplan. Some ideologues might consider this a built-in bias, but, for most viewers, it is a source of credibility.
Highly recommended as a level-headed study of EVs and their full, national, and global implications.
