Gotta chime in here:
Wether I agree with the review or not, that fact is that "Top Gear" really doesn't like the electric car as a whole. I mean...the presenters on the show
reeeealy don't like them.
And you know what? I'm fairly sure that most people on the planet right now know that. Including most car manufacturers.
Wether it's right or wrong, if you, as a maker of an electric car go to Top Gear and ask them to do a review of your car...and you're
honestly expecting a good one, you need to have your head examined.
Again, whether it's right or wrong, even if you had an electric car that was actually pretty good, and would probably work in the real world for most people, and even if it was pretty...you have to know what the end result will be.
You'd see the guys thrashing it round the track till the poor thing burst into flames, or waved the white flag. And then burst into flames again.
Then the guys would stand there and say: "See,
this is why electric cars just don't work. Anyway.... lets take a look at the new Lamborghini..." while The Stig hands you a box of the parts left over that didn't burn into a puddle of goo, or were left in bits and pieces scattered around the track.
I personally don't know the whole story on this incident, but Tesla waiting this long to start fussing is just odd to me. Even if it
did happen just as they said...they've had 2 years since to do their own "Top Gear" style review to try to discount every bad point that Jeremy and company sent out. And to my knowledge they haven't.
Saying that they thought it was just a car review done by some silly show, done by some guys that most people don't even know is utterly ridiculous.
Top Gear is
the most widely watched show out there right now. Not even including the Dave channel constant reruns...or the massive amount of downloading going on. Since it's return in it's new format in 2002, it now has a worldwide audience of over 350 million viewers!
Let me say that again...
350,000,000. Thats actually more than a
Quarter of a Billion people each week watch the show.
So for Tesla to even insinuate that they had no idea so many people would be watching, and the reruns would be shown to so many people....
in the world ( HA!) is beyond belief.
If you owned a Morris Marina that you loved, but were also an avid fan of the show...would you offer up your pride and joy for the boys, and The Stig to go and have fun with for a few days? I think I just heard someone scream "Hell No!"
And some crying too...but never mind...
Or you had a
sweeeeeeeet G-Wiz that you loved so much. Put all of your time and money into it, and then step back, and hand the keys to the Hounds of Hell themselves. Jeremy, James, and Hammond...and then let then hoon the crap outta it it for a weekend. If you were expecting that car to even
existafter that...well sweetie we may have to increase your meds.
It's just gonna happen like this every time. For now at least.
OTOH, if I play Devils Advocate here for a minute for the electric car, then, I will, defiantly have to say that yes...
eventually....under certain situations....it may be an alternative to the old ICE we all know and love. That time is just
not now, I'm afraid.
The Governments are doing everything in their power to shove electrics down our throats...like it or not...as the future of the car.
Which, right now, today as I type this:
Is utter Bollocks.
Technology
is growing by leaps and bounds, every day. Just like everything else in life...eventually it'll get there.
And believe it or not, I'll be
happy for them. Now admittedly they do have a lot of work to do. And they are trying, which is more than most people...bless them.
Admittedly, I do like this car. Hell, I'd love anything based on a Lotus.
If the price weren't so high, and I had already installed a surefire was to keep it topped up, or knew how to do that on the fly while traveling...I'd consider it.