Fifth Gear Recharged launches on discovery+
The very first episode of Fifth Gear Recharged, the show dedicated to electric vehicles, has dropped on discovery+.
The show, which initially launched in 2002 before being rebranded this year to focus solely on electric vehicles, features regular hosts Jason Plato and Vicki Butler-Henderson alongside former Top Gear presenter Rory Reid and Formula 1 and Formula E driver Karun Chandhok. They will be assisted by EV consumer journalist Grace Webb and engineering ace Jimmy de Ville.
In the first episode, the presenters put the Citroën Ami through a team test, Jason and Rory check out some of the latest EVs at the International Motor Show in Munich, and Vicki Butler-Henderson gets behind the wheel of Lamborghini’s first ever hybrid car, the Sián.
Later in the series, viewers can witness Jason Plato getting behind the wheel of Ferrari’s hybrid SF90, Karun Chandhok flying to Spain to tackle the Cupra Born, and Rory Reid taking the Hyundai Ioniq 5 across Scotland’s scenic NC500.
EV Powered spoke to the presenters of Fifth Gear Recharged ahead of the shows launch to get their views on the new series.
Jason Plato said: “Throughout the series, from being a bit of a dinosaur, I have actually started to enjoy these electric cars. It’s great that the viewer will see us going on a journey and see our opinions change a little bit. It’s a totally different driving experience; it’s quiet, it’s relaxing and there’s lots of tech which all makes things easy. Once you get over the lack of noise and things like that, behind the wheel of an EV is a really good place to be.”
Rory Reid added: “I’ve always said that electric cars are going to become really good and I feel like we’re pretty much there at the moment, and with this series, I feel happy seeing the world slowly evolve and I’m excited about the next generation of cars. I’m excited for the future.”
Grace Webb also commented: “It’s a really exciting time. We’re learning so much and manufacturers are bringing out more electric cars and new designs, so it’s definitely time that we put a focus on that because it’s the way the world is going. We’re going to new modes of transport, fuel and tech, so we need to talk about it and get rid of that concern.”
