Focus BEV in Jay Leno's SIARPC - the Green Car Challenge

Jay Leno's furst Green Car Challenge with a Focus BEV and Drew Barrymore

Jay Leno's first Green Car Challenge with a Focus BEV and Drew Barrymore

Jay Leno had Drew Barrymore and a Focus BEV for the first heat of the Green Car Challenge on his NBC Show.

We like Jay Leno. He has petrol (or gas) running through his veins. He’s a proper petrolhead (gearhead – no more, you don’t need the translation). We enjoyed his live launch of the new Jaguar XJ we hosted here, and his drive on Top Gear in the SIARPC slot.

Jay’s started a new TV show on NBC in the States. And he’s put together a version of SIARPC (last time – Star In A Reasonably Priced Car) using a specially created Focus BEV. Not the Focus BEV we saw at Frankfurt last week, but one put together by Ford US based on a German Focus ST. The slot’s called the Green Car Challenge, and stars get to do a somewhat daft course in the Focus BEV against the clock.

First up was Drew Barrymore, who confessed she was ‘Sans Licence’ at the moment. The course consisted of one clear lap followed by one with obstacles, including cardboard cut-outs of Al Gore & others. Hit the cutouts and get a penalty (she should just have driven straight through them). Throw in a heap of party streamers and table tennis balls aimed at the car and you have something that’s as ropey as it sounds.

The Ford Focus BEV created for Jay Leno's Green Car Challenge

Now, we’d normally bring you a video of this so you can judge for yourself. But for reasons best known to itself, NBC won’t let us have a video to show outside the US. So you’ll have to take our word for it.

We can’t believe Jay – or NBC – needs to save money. So why – when he has Hollywood on his doorstep – does the GCC have to be so naff? And why does Jay say that the Focus BEV is “the Future”? Jay’s on record as a big Hydrogen Fuel Cell fan. Why the change of heart to a plug-in EV? Could it have anything to do with Ford sponsoring the show?

Come on Jay, you can do so much better than this. Don’t just talk up the spot with promises of Tom Cruise et al taking part. Use some of NBC’s money. Or Ford’s. Or yours. Make the GCC the US equivalent of SIARPC. But with Hollywood glitz and glamour.

Oh, and send us a video of Drew Barrymore doing the GCC. Or do you know it’s so bad you couldn’t possibly let it out of the US?!