Jeremy Clarkson is, among other things, a wonderfully entertaining writer, but it's no secret that he hates hybrids with a passion. In his most recent review of the new BMW 535i, the new sedan doesn't even get mentioned until halfway through the article (typical Clarkson), and begins with a rant about the "green-eyed monster," the horror of catalytic converters and how much time is wasted on engineering electric motors.
Unfortunately, as good as Clarkson is at spinning words, his knowledge of new technology is limited and when he gets into areas outside his expertise, he's nearly always off base. For example, he blames catalytic converters for creating greenhouse gas emissions by converting carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide while never mentioning that any time you burn carbon fuels, CO2 will be produced. Similarly, he blames environmentalists for forcing Ferrari to add a hybrid system to upcoming sports cars, which holds some truth, considering that Maranello's finest rarely get driven with any regularity.
While there are surely issues with hybrid drive systems, calling them "unimaginative, short-term, blinkered nonsense" is laughably absurd. Hybrid drive is a good interim strategy and, for certain applications, it makes good, clean sense. We'll continue reading Clarkson's work as an amusement, but until he catches up on the realities of new powertrain technology, he remains, in his own words, "an entertainer."
[Source: Times of London]
Unfortunately, as good as Clarkson is at spinning words, his knowledge of new technology is limited and when he gets into areas outside his expertise, he's nearly always off base. For example, he blames catalytic converters for creating greenhouse gas emissions by converting carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide while never mentioning that any time you burn carbon fuels, CO2 will be produced. Similarly, he blames environmentalists for forcing Ferrari to add a hybrid system to upcoming sports cars, which holds some truth, considering that Maranello's finest rarely get driven with any regularity.
While there are surely issues with hybrid drive systems, calling them "unimaginative, short-term, blinkered nonsense" is laughably absurd. Hybrid drive is a good interim strategy and, for certain applications, it makes good, clean sense. We'll continue reading Clarkson's work as an amusement, but until he catches up on the realities of new powertrain technology, he remains, in his own words, "an entertainer."
[Source: Times of London]
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