Who is the main spy-film villain, Miles Axlerod, in Pixar's Cars 2?

Miles Axlerod is the main villain revealed in Pixar's Cars 2. He is introduced as a former oil tycoon who claims to have converted himself into an electric vehicle.

Axlerod secretly leads the plot to use the World Grand Prix's alternative fuel to create damaging public failures. The scheme is designed to make the fuel look dangerous and protect the interests of traditional petroleum users. His identity is concealed until the film's climax.

Professor Zündapp assists Axlerod, while Finn McMissile and Holley Shiftwell investigate the conspiracy. Because Cars 2 presents its story through spy-movie conventions, viewers may initially focus on Professor Zündapp as the chief threat. Axlerod, however, is the character behind the larger plan.