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Top Gear review slated the new Nissan Leaf

Discussion in 'Nissan/Infiniti Hybrids and EVs' started by GrumpyCabbie, Aug 3, 2011.

  1. evnow

    evnow Active Member

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    I guess your "litmus test" is a dud.

    This is the answer to all those who say "everyone knows TG is a comedy show"

    Shocked Nissan Leaf owners might be faced with $30.000 bill to replace the batteries | The UberReview

     
  2. MontyTheEngineer

    MontyTheEngineer New Member

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    Who says I can't do both? I like Top Gear. I also know they're going to hate 100% of green vehicles, 90% of American vehicles, and at least 50% of everything else. It's regrettable that some of their viewers are too dumb to recognize that it's a car-themed comedy show rather than a neutral source of information, but every show in the world is watched by some idiots who take it the wrong way and I don't plan to stop watching because of it.
     
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  3. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    It is an entertainment show. Sure they mess around and it is funny to watch. Trouble is you can't slander or libel someone or something and spread false statements and then say its entertainment. There is a big difference between the funny clip of when they made an electric car out of junk and the recent clips (copy still not on youtube) where they make false statements about Nissan and the Leaf.

    It's the same as the Mexican 'joke' they made earlier in the year. Sure some might find it funny, some Mexicans might even find it funny, but others might find it bordering on racism. BBC News - Top Gear sparks Mexico complaints

    Quote: Hammond said: "Mexican cars are just going to be lazy, feckless, flatulent, overweight, leaning against a fence asleep looking at a cactus with a blanket with a hole in the middle on as a coat."

    You can't laugh off all comments as jokes. The same applies to mistruths about electric cars. You can't lie and distort the facts and then laugh it off as a joke.

    Oh and Clarkson gives the impression he is a champion of free speech yet it is alleged that he took out a court order to ban newspapers from reporting on an affair he had been having with one of his production staff.
     
  4. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    Thought I'd get some facts for you. I have borrowed these from Nissan via the following link; Latest issues - Leaf news - News - Nissan

    Quick charging the LEAF in only 30 minutes could be really useful, but is there a limit to how often I should use it?
    Once a day is fine. If customers follow our maintenance and usage guidelines we expect that after 5 years the battery will retain around 80% of its original charge.

    In addition, the LEAF comes with a 5-year electrical drive train warranty that covers the battery and other electric drive train components over this period.


    Clarkson indicated that the Nissan Leaf costs £8 to charge but left people scratching their heads how he came up with this amount. Nissan have clarified this as follows using a 'normal' electricity tariff. Overnight using cheaper electricity costs £1.25 and during the day on a peak tariff costs £3.37. Still not the £15 a diesel Golf would cost in fuel (British Gas are the UK's biggest electricity and natural gas provider).

    What does it cost to 'fuel' a Nissan LEAF and how far can I go?
    A full charge in a LEAF will take you 109 miles (NEDC cycle) and will cost you £1.25 using British Gas's overnight Standard (Economy 7) tariff. At peak rate (British Gas Standard Tariff) it will cost £3.37.
     
  5. xs650

    xs650 Senior Member

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    And we all know that a car manufacturer would never exaggerate the performance of its products.:rockon:

    Top Gear is entertainment, misinformation from them is very different than misinformation from someone trying to sell you something. Top Gear isn't taking your money.

    That said, I wish Top Gear would be more factual while still being entertaining. And that said, I do find some entertainment value watching EVangelists froth at the mouth over an entertainment show.
     
  6. billnchristy

    billnchristy Active Member

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    I am not saying Nissan shouldn't take action against them, but people who believe anything these guys tell you are either:

    a) Not very bright
    b) Tuned in because The greatest race was a re-run (see a)

    And my litmus test is a dud?

    Run a news story about how the economy is booming and we will be in the most prosperous period in decades and you will see the stock market shoot up.

    Just because these idiots can affect the world doesn't make it any more or less fake.
     
  7. adric22

    adric22 Ev and Hybrid Enthusiast

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    I watched the episode, I didn't think it was that bad. And I OWN a Nissan Leaf. It is quite true, unless you live in a city that is big on EVs you are going to have a hard time finding a socket. If we decided to go out of town, we take the Prius. I also know that this is a temporary problem that will go away in time. Actually, I found the episode probably helped people without EV knowledge to understand that you actually can drive these cars pretty long distances. Since Top Gear didn't really state how far they were driving, it could certainly seem like they were driving across the country and only needed to recharge one time. They got a few things wrong, like the purpose of the solar panel and the charging costs. I also didn't like they way they compared the Leaf to a BETA tape player. I suspect they will eat their words in a few years.