His foils include the charismatic Bob Lutz, vice chairman of General Motors during its 2008 bankruptcy, due in part to its focus on trucks and SUVs instead of fuel efficient and electric cars.

Musk and Lutz also face Carlos Ghosn, the CEO credited with saving Renault-Nissan from near bankruptcy and who now had pledged $1 billion to beat Toyota to the pure electric game.

A final character, steel fabrication artist, craftsman, prop builder and television personality Greg Abbott, who is known professionally as Reverend Gadget, makes the case for independent electric car conversions in California.

[2][3] Danny DeVito is also interviewed, as an electric car enthusiast and owner of a Chevrolet Volt and the earlier ill-fated General Motors EV1, as well as Internet entrepreneur and Tesla customer Jason Calacanis.

"[7] The film premiered on television in PBS's Independent Lens series in 2012 and was encored again in 2013 to strong ratings given the expanding popularity and interest in Tesla Motors with the release of its subsequent Model S electric car.