You might remember my article from a couple years ago when I said that plug-in electric cars are not the future. Even so, there is a big push toward hybrids and electrics these days and it really represents the resurgence of a pre-existing idea. As such, a documentary has been made and it is titled, appropriately enough, Revenge of the Electric Car. A follow up to the 2006 film Who Killed The Electric Car?

Almost taking a Michael Moore-like approach, the new movie talks about how “as many as 5,000 modern electric cars were destroyed by the major car companies that build them” in 2006, but now the electric car is back “with a vengeance.” It features exclusive interviews with people like Bob Lutz of GM, Carlos Ghosn of Nissan-Renault, and Elon Musk of Tesla. Between them, we see cars like the Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf, and Tesla Roadster.

The documentary opens on October 21 in New York (Landmark Sunshine Cinema) and Los Angeles (Landmark Nuart), with more screens across the country taking on the picture in the days and months to follow. These include Nashville, Portland, Scottsdale, Houston, Detroit (how appropriate!), Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Denver, Honolulu, and more.

Check out the trailer below.

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For folks who’ve been saving up to buy a Tesla Roadster, do it now. Tesla Motors will be taking Roadster orders for another two months, and then it’s stopping production of the EV so it can focus on creating the family-friendly Model S electric sedan. The Roadster was never intended to be a big seller, but the EV became a hit and proved that it’s possible for a car to be green and sexy. The Roadster can go from 0-60 in under four seconds, and can drive 250 miles on a single charge. At the end of April, Tesla reported that worldwide sales numbered 1,650.

The EV doesn’t come cheap at $109,000, so if you don’t want to spend that much on an EV, wait for the Model S. The car will be about half the price of the Roadster, at $58,000, and it will have a range of 160 miles. Not enough miles for you? For $80,000, you can get a model with a larger battery pack that will allow for a range of 300 miles. Tesla will also sell a mid-range battery that would give you 230 miles.

The first sales of the new Model S are expected to begin around the middle of 2012. Earlier this month, Tesla started taking reservations in Canada. Tesla will produce 5,000 Model S sedans in 2012, and they have high hopes for the vehicle, as they projected selling as many as 20,000 units per year in 2013. The Model S can go from 0-60 like the Roadster, but it takes an extra second to do so at five seconds. Not too shabby considering it’s half the price of the sports car.

Photo: Tesla Model S

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Most of us would generally agree that when it comes to fully electric vehicles, the Tesla Roadster (and its slight variations) is at the top of the heap. It looks like a real sports car but runs completely without the petrol. Well, Tesla will be getting a run for its money by way of the Artega SE.

Not only does it look kind of similar to the Tesla alternative, the Artega SE also happens to be a full electric vehicle. What’s more, the twin electric motors mounted over the rear axle are able to generate an impressive 380hp. By comparison, the Tesla Roadster only has 248hp (the Sport Model bumps this to 288hp).

That said, the Tesla is quicker to 60mph (3.9 seconds) than the Artega (4.3 seconds). It’s hard to say how fast the Tesla can go, since it’s electronically limited to 125mph, but the Artega SE can keep on revving until it hits 155mph. The 90 minute full charge time is pretty good too, giving you 124 miles of range.

With cars like the Tesla and Artega, the industry is finally starting to challenge the old mantra that electric cars have to slow and boring. They’re also showing us that they can be expensive: the Artega SE has its price starting at 150,000 Euro and they’re producing about 500 units a year.

[EGM Cartech via Artega]

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