Nissan calls out Top Gear over Leaf Review

[dubbs]

http://news.yahoo.com/jeremy-clarkso...111205442.html

Jeremy Clarkson, the outspoken presenter of popular British motoring show Top Gear on Wednesday defended an episode of the series in which he deliberately runs out of power in Japanese automaker Nissan's Leaf electric car.
Clarkson drew a furious response from Nissan after Sunday's episode of the BBC programme showed him being pushed
along in a Leaf car after its battery went flat.

The presenter, who has whipped up controversy on numerous occasions in the past, was left stranded in the eastern
English city of Lincoln where there are no public recharging points for electric cars.
He ended the show with the comment that electric cars "are not the future."

Nissan blasted the episode as misleading because the car was not fully charged before starting the journey, but in
comments to the Times newspaper on Wednesday Clarkson refused to apologise, saying: "That's how TV works."
"The piece was about the difficulties of recharging the electric car," he added.

"At no point did we mislead the viewers. Top Gear's job is to say to everybody, 'Just a minute, do not believe (electric cars)
can be run as simply as you have been told. Charging them up is a pain in the arse'."

In an interview after the episode, Andy Palmer, Nissan's executive vice-president, accused Top Gear of deceiving viewers,
saying there were safeguards in place to stop Leaf drivers running out of power.

He pointed out that a device sending Nissan updates showed Clarkson had started the day with the battery only 40 percent
charged and said the car appeared to have been driven in loops in Lincoln until the battery was flat.

Andy Wilman, Top Gear's executive producer, denied the show had misled viewers, saying it was intended to highlight the
"patchy" recharging infrastructure for electric cars in Britain.

In February the BBC was forced to apologise to the Mexican ambassador to London after a Top Gear presenter described
Mexicans as "lazy", "feckless" and "flatulent" in a segment about a sportscar made by Mexican firm Mastretta.

[Gas Man]

I still think they proved a great and valid point.

Anybody got a link to the video of that episode?

[Homeslice]

Originally Posted by dubbs

In February the BBC was forced to apologise to the Mexican ambassador to London after a Top Gear presenter described
Mexicans as "lazy", "feckless" and "flatulent" in a segment about a sportscar made by Mexican firm Mastretta.

I would like to see that episode

[Dave]

Add Nissan to the list of mfrs never to buy from

[dubbs]

I agree, it shows real world usage and what the consequences would be.

It seems nissan got butthurt from someone showing real world usage of the car. Saying it wasn't fully charged is their defense?

[Particle Man]

Originally Posted by dubbs

I agree, it shows real world usage and what the consequences would be.

It seems nissan got butthurt from someone showing real world usage of the car. Saying it wasn't fully charged is their defense?

Sounds pretty accurate on all accounts.

Saying "This is what the manufacturer says but this is what REALLY happens when you use it like many folks will (i.e. not following the recommended instructions to the letter because people are, by nature, lazy)" seems pretty accurate to me.

[dubbs]

Originally Posted by Particle Man

Sounds pretty accurate on all accounts.

Saying "This is what the manufacturer says but this is what REALLY happens when you use it like many folks will (i.e. not following the recommended instructions to the letter because people are, by nature, lazy)" seems pretty accurate to me.

Lazy? how bout needing to use the car away from charging stations/not having time to charge it. It's not like you can go to your everyday gas station and fill up in 5 mins.

[Particle Man]

Originally Posted by dubbs

Lazy? how bout needing to use the car away from charging stations/not having time to charge it. It's not like you can go to your everyday gas station and fill up in 5 mins.

Yeah that too

[dubbs]

Originally Posted by Particle Man

Yeah that too

Although in Japan, they are starting to come out with these battery swap stations, which would make sense.. When you're running low on juice you go to this place and it's all automated, switches out the battery pack and you're good to go for a while. They say it takes less than a minute.

http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/arie...infrastructure

[OneSickPsycho]

I would think that people who would buy an electric vehicle would commute with it, and plug it in every night. I don't see people buying these things to drive for days on end without recharging. To that point, I think Nissan's argument makes sense... though they do a damn poor job at stating it. However, to the show's point, the e-vehicles are not going to replace ICE vehicles any time soon.