Drew Barrymore first to race Ford Focus EV on Leno's new show
Apparently, electric cars are for girls. For his new prime-time TV show, Jay Leno is going to pit celebrities against one another in his new Green Car Challenge segment and the first one in the driver's seat will be Drew Barrymore. Barrymore will get behind the wheel of a prototype Ford Focus EV this Friday. Following Barrymore's initial time trial, Leno will rope other stars into racing the sponsored Focus on a special track built outside the show's new studio once or twice a week.
For Ford, the tremendous publicity of getting celebs into their upcoming electric vehicle – which is due on the market in 2011 – is a tremendous coup. Nancy Gioia, director of hybrid vehicle programs for Ford, told USAToday that the Leno tie will go a big way in making EVs seem normal. "If (electric cars are) only seen as quirky or off the beaten path, it's really hard to get people" excited, she said.
GM's Rob Peterson sees a benefit to all automakers who are bringing an EV to market. "If we walked into the showroom in 2011 with very little lead time, some segments of the population would have a tough time understanding what these vehicles can do," he said. Instead, we'll have two years of YouTube clips of famous people saying "oh, it's so quiet" to get everyone ready.
Gallery: ABG Quick Drive: Ford Focus EV mule
[Source: USAToday | Image: Adam Pretty/Getty Images]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Tohe 7:09PM (9/15/2009)
She is so pretty and so much fun, a perfect fit.
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mike 2:08AM (9/16/2009)
So in other words it is a big commercial and we can expect to see celebs only chatting up how surprising normal and even spritely the car is, etc, etc...
I like Jay, actually...
And also don't have anything against this car.
And think it's good to promote green cars in general.
But he has put short pants on this gag by making it a commercial rather than a vehicle (you see what I did there?) for some honest reactions and fun.
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David Wright 4:37AM (9/16/2009)
And the idea is cribbed from the BBC's UK tv show Top Gear, in which every week a different celeb is invited to race the same car (in this case a totally boring one) against the clock, with the results posted on a board in the studio. It's a very popular part of the show and has been running for years.
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mike 5:30AM (9/16/2009)
Yes... I'm familiar with with the top gear bit.
But the difference is theirs is not done as an advert for the car used.
In fact the car takes the pointy end of the stick on a lot of jokes and comments.
I doubt Ford is going to be supporting Leno with this for a bunch of celebs to go on a massively advertised show, drive the car and then comment that it's crap.
It would just be a LOT more interesting and fun if they were put in a situation where they could feel free to speak as they please.
We'll see.