This summer, two films about cars are hitting our screens. The animated epic Cars features a cocky, talking racecar called Lightning McQueen; the other is about a car never sold in the UK, which you've probably never heard of.

Who Killed the Electric Car is a documentary about an electric car built - and subsequently axed by General Motors.

The EV-1 was a futuristic two seat vehicle billed as the next big thing and leased to its customers. However ten years after the car was launched, GM pulled the plug and crushed 1,116 of them.

What followed was a PR disaster for the American firm, and Who Killed the Electric Car picks up the case after the dust had settled.

Directed by ex-EV-1 owner Chris Payne, Who Killed… seeks the real reason GM wanted to destroy its only mass-produced electric car.

In a style popularised by Michael Moore in Bowling for Columbine and Fahrenheit 9/11, Payne interviews various passionate people close to the EV-1.

Sadly, Who Killed… is a one-sided affair, with aggressive interviewing for those agreeing with the EV-1's cancellation, but compassion for its supporters.

The arguments for electric vehicles are often flawed, perpetuating the myth electric cars are totally green (in fact they move pollution from the exhaust back to the power station).

There is no mention of bio-fuels which have been successful in Scandinavia. Similarly the film ignores the huge improvements in petrol and diesel engines in the UK.

Despite this, Who Killed… is a reasonably polished piece of cinema that managed to hold my attention for the full 92 minutes.

However politicos seeking American governmental conspiracy theories will probably enjoy it far more than informed car enthusiasts.

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