> I'm naturally sympathetic to the message here, but
> why haven't the Japanese, who have no domestic oil
> supply, develop such a car by now?
The real answer, only given as a footnote in the movie, is that it's a difficult problem. Technologies are advancing, we'll get there. Just Not Today. The trend is unmistakable: electricity continues to grow as the significant energy source of our future (and has already taken over for many sectors; even subsectors of transportation), but in the mean time, fossil fuel is still where it's at for transportation.
/jordan