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Top Gear: Doing Another Silly, Deceptive Electric-Car Stunt?

 
3,730 views May 12, 2011
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Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson

Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson

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Uh oh, here we go again. Or not?

The crew of the British car show Top Gear have been spotted in the British town of Lincoln, traveling in a pair of electric cars, the 2011 Nissan Leaf and a Peugeot iOn (which will be sold in the States as the 2012 Mitsubishi 'i').

Hosts Jeremy Clarkson and James May are sufficiently big celebrities in their home country that the sighting merited a photo story in the local newspaper.


The pair had visited Lincoln seeking recharging stations for the pair of electric cars, which they were attempting to drive across the U.K. As the newspaper noted, "unfortunately there are none in the county yet."

Remarkably, the pair happened to "break down" just outside the offices of another local newspaper, the Lincolnshire Echo (perhaps ensuring maximum publicity for the upcoming episode).

They finally had to "recharge the cars through university windows" after leaving in gasoline-powered cars.

Tesla versus Top Gear

Tesla versus Top Gear

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So we suspect that the pre-written script for an episode in the 17th season of the show--airing in the U.K. in June--will be a variation on the pre-written script of the episode in which they inferred that a Tesla Roadster had run out of battery power during their tests.

It hadn't, although it appears the episode has been taken as gospel by millions of Top Gear fans. Tesla subsequently sued the BBC over the episode.

But, at this point, accuracy and fairness have little to do with Top Gear. It's entertainment, after all. Facts, balanced presentation, context ... those are all for lesser journalists, ones not nearly as famously outrageous as the Top Gear boys.

You have been warned.

[The Lincolnite]

+++++++++++

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Comments (7)

  1. MichaelThwaite avatar Michael Thwaite Posted: 5/12/2011 10:42am PDT

    You'd think that they'd check the manual first and verify the drivable range? How foolish are they?
     
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  2. Chris O avatar Chris O Posted: 5/13/2011 11:03pm PDT

    In the old days of Top Gear it used to be Clarkson's speciality to make fun of GM products until the day that he had an epiphany and started to sing GM's praises. Well, either an epiphany or a big bag of cash I suppose because by imprinting images in the public's mind about EV's being pushed Clarkson just happens to be promoting GM's range anxiety concept. I notice that there is no mention of Richard Hammond in this staging of EV's running out of juice; could it be that he is driving the Volt and that the conclusion of this episode will be that you really need a range extender?
     
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  3. fb_1001015277 avatar John Briggs Posted: 5/14/2011 5:56am PDT

    I am really torn over the Top Gear discussion. I love Top Gear, but I also love EVs. When I watch a show like the Daily Show or The Colbert Report, I don't think for a moment that these guys believed what they are saying. The will pick on anyone or anything for a laugh, as turn on a dime to make humor in the opposite direction.
    I think what is difficult about Top Gear is that they do occasionally provide factual information. You then need to decide if they are being factual or not moment by moment.
     
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  4. Chris O avatar Chris O Posted: 5/14/2011 11:11pm PDT

    @ John Briggs; I think what makes Top Gear so tricky is that the whole concept depends on the public being voluntarily manipulated; to enjoy the show one has to shut down part of ones brain and pretend it's all what it appears to be rather than the scripted BS it really is. It all seems to hinge on a silent don't ask, don't tell covenant between the show and it's audience to keep an illusion of realism and spontaneity alive. That's okay as long it's just about staged races and so on, but it becomes abusive once the show starts to exploit this "augmented reality mindset" of it's audience to insert misconceptions about important issues like new energy vehicles.
     
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  5. fb_1001015277 avatar John Briggs Posted: 5/16/2011 6:12am PDT

    http://uk.autoblog.com/2011/05/16/nissan-reacts-to-top-gear-breaking-down-in-a-leaf/
    Is it possible that Top Gear is really just going to advocate for new EV charging infrastructure? They only staged this seen to help inform the need for public charging stations, not to pick on EVs? Hmmmm
     
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  6. Thehaymarketbomber Posted: 5/22/2011 3:32pm PDT

    "...they inferred that a Tesla Roadster had..." No, they implied it, in the hopes that their readers would infer it.
     
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  7. Landei avatar Landei Coume Posted: 8/7/2011 11:47pm PDT

    A big controversy in the Car Industry. A dismal overview of the Nissan Motors Leaf has started a new beef amongst the BBC show and Nissan Motors. Related article I read:Top Gear starts new electric car quarrel over Nissan Leaf .A general negative conclusion against a car maker.
     
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