That’s exactly what I thought when I saw it on Netflix last night for the first time.
If you’ve got Netflix, check out “Car Masters – Rust to Riches” season 2, episode 1, in which they build an electric Pinto drag car (I know electric cars are your favorite! LOL), on which they apply electro-luminescent racing stripes that light up with the flip of a switch. They don’t exactly show or describe how it works, but you’ll get a decent look at the visual effect.