The film industry has a long history of efforts to anticipate the future of technology, starting with science fiction films in the 1980s that formulated hypotheses about artificial intelligence, robots and supercomputers.
How, on the other hand, have cars been portrayed in cinema? Many directors and screenwriters would have bet on a world in which we would travel in flying vehicles, but the reality has been slightly different. Over the years, cars have been ubiquitous in cinema, yet rarely have electric cars found a place in screenplays, until recent years, when something began to change.
The study
Gridserve carried out a study to understand how many electric cars have been present in Hollywood cinema and how this trend has changed over the years, considering a 72-year time span.
Starting with a comprehensive list of 462 past, current and future electric vehicles, a cross-check was conducted with the Internet Movie Cars database to determine the number of films in which each model has appeared. TV series and documentaries were excluded.
Results
In 2010, only three electric vehicles appeared on the silver screen, but since then the number has increased significantly, reaching 92 by 2022. Although these may seem like small numbers, they indicate a clear inclination towards the representation of electric vehicles in film productions.
Taking a step back, the appearances of electric cars are becoming increasingly rare going back in time. For example, during the 2000s (2000-2009), there were 20 appearances of fully electric cars, and only 10 during the entire period from 1900 onwards.
The first representation of an electric car on the screen dates back to 1951, when the Baker Electric Stanhope made its appearance in ‘Excuse My Dust’. However, it should be noted that the car itself already had a history stretching back many years before the film, as production had begun in 1904.
The most popular cars
Of all the electric vehicles, it is the Tesla Model S that is the most frequently featured on the big screen. Elon Musk’s brand holds the top position in this context. With a total of 75 appearances, it easily surpasses both the Nissan Leaf (51 appearances) and the BMW i3 (49 appearances), which are in second and third place respectively.
In total, Tesla appearances amounted to 176, thanks to the significant contribution of the Model 3 (36 appearances), the Model X (35 appearances), the first generation Roadster (20 appearances) and the Model Y (10 appearances).
The most curious cases
Besides the presentation of the most common electric cars, such as the Nissan Leaf and the Volkswagen ID.3, more peculiar examples of electric vehicles in the film context emerged. The DeLorean Alpha5, an all-electric version of the iconic DMC DeLorean, a car that has made film history, appears in the latest instalment of the ‘Fast & Furious’ series, entitled ‘Fast X’.
Continuing the study, in seventh position of the most appeared vehicles, amidst better known vehicles such as the Renault Zoe and the Twizy, we find the Bolloré Bluecar. This small four-seater appears in a total of 29 films (mainly French language films), making it more popular than the Volkswagen ID.3 (10 appearances) and the Model Y (10 appearances).
The Bluecar was conceived by Pininfarina, a renowned car design company responsible for leading models such as the Ferrari Testarossa and the Alfa Romeo 6C.
As far as car types are concerned, despite the current popularity of SUVs, it is saloons that account for the majority of electric vehicles in films: with as many as 250 appearances out of a total of 533, they make up 47 per cent of total appearances.
An analysis of the relationship between the film world and electric cars reveals an intriguing journey through time and expectations. From their first timid appearances to their current proliferation, electric cars have gradually conquered the silver screen, reflecting the technological and cultural evolution of our society.
While Hollywood has often anticipated the future with bold visions, it is fascinating to see how the reality of electric cars is now influencing fiction itself, creating a virtuous circle of mutual inspiration. We can only await with curiosity and anticipation the next stages of this fascinating journey between the seventh art and the world of battery-powered cars.
