Has the electric car industry lost its mind?

You might be asking that question if you’ve seen the video “Kicking Gas,” starring none other than The Terminator himself, former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, playing Howard Kleiner, a wacked out car salesman pushing polluting, gasoline-powered automobiles to environmentally concerned customers.

In the first video, Kleiner greets potential EV buyers at a Burbank dealership with over-the-top antics and absurdities, like when he says helping pollute the air will curb the world’s population.

Call it reverse psychology. The real message is electric cars save you time, go faster, are easier to drive and help the environment.

As you finally stop laughing, the message becomes as clear as the muscles under the one time Mr. America’s shirt: Veloz, a nonprofit entity of EV car manufacturers, utilities, clean air districts and nonprofits, wants to make the American car buyer aware of the 40 makes and models of EVs on the market.

These cars run on advanced batteries, recharge using greener grids and have zero tailpipe emissions than gasoline-powered sedans, SUVs and pickups, which spew pollution-creating smog and add to climate change.

“We are trying to elevate the benefits of driving electric, trying to relate to EV shoppers in a tongue-in-cheek, over-the-top mode, using humor to get Californians excited about electric cars,” Josh Boone, executive director of Veloz, said.

I told Boone I laughed harder each time I watched the 3-minute video.

Dressed in a baseball cap, a bad wig and a cheesy mustache, Kleiner belittles a male customer who says he wants an EV so he can ride solo in the HOV lanes.

Ahnold, er Kleiner’s rejoinder: “Carpools lanes are for sissies,” he says, offering him a bumper sticker with the same slogan and another that reads: “I support the Oil Company monopoly.”

When a young couple says they want to buy an electric car, he steps away and drives up in a Hummer, billowing exhaust from the tailpipe. “Can a battery-powered car do this?” he asks, revving the engine with a crazed smile. “This is testosterone! Yes!”

If you don’t know, that’s not the Terminator’s Hummer. Schwarzenegger converted his Hummers into zero-emission hydrogen- and battery-powered vehicles. He supports cleaner-burning cars and has been heavily promoting the campaign on his private Twitter and Snapchat accounts.

“Over 16 years ago, I set out to prove that you can have the car you love and the clean air you need,” he said in a prepared statement.

In fact, Boone told me the entire campaign is based on what people don’t know about electric cars.

More than 50% of Californians know next to nothing about electric cars, according to UC Davis research. “Well over 50% of Californians can’t name an electric car,” Boone said. A separate study by AAA echoed a broad ignorance of EVs by consumers.

While other barriers, such as cost, charging ports and range are slowly falling away, the problem is a lack of familiarity. “Our top goals is to inspire and engage Californians around the exciting benefits of electric cars and to learn what the different options are,” Boone said.

To do that, watch the video. But also, check out electricforall.org for a list of makes and models and public charging stations. Since their introduction, EVs or plug-in hybrids now total 1.2 million nationwide; about half of those sold in California.

Boone will soon put up 36 billboards promoting the “Kicking Gas” campaign, including along the 405 and 5 freeways in Los Angeles, he added.

Right now, it’s word of mouth doing the job. Even actor Mark Ruffalo, who played The Hulk in several Marvel movies, is joining the campaign. “Terminator plus Hulk equals ‘Kicking Gas,’” Boone said with a chuckle.

Prices are going down. Range is going up. Charging infrastructure is expanding. Who is EXCITED to go @ElectricForAll? @MarkRuffalo #KickingGas pic.twitter.com/uCM8HCjDhO — Veloz (@LetsVeloz) June 27, 2019

Steve Scauzillo covers public health, environment and transportation for the Southern California News Group. He’s a recipient of the Aldo Leopold Award for Distinguished Editorial Writing. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @stevscaz or email him at sscauzillo@scng.com.