July 31, 2011 9.31 pm This story is over 152 months old

Top Gear loves Lincoln, hates electric cars

Top visit: Jeremy Clarkson and James May weren’t very keen on the electric cars, but they did enjoy their time in Lincoln.

The final episode of series 17 of Top Gear aired on BBC2 and BBC HD on Sunday, July 31, and featured a segment in which two of the shows presenters road tested electric cars in Lincoln.

Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson and James May weren’t very keen on the electric cars they tested for the show, but they did enjoy their time in Lincoln.

Clarkson and May, driving a Nissan Leaf and a Peugeot iOn, broke down in Lincoln on May 12, when their electric cars ran out of battery in the city centre.

After they were told at Lincolnshire County Council’s offices that the closest charging point is too far from the city, the Top Gear duo finally found a spot to recharge.

The electric cars recharged for several hours at the University of Lincoln, while Clarkson and May visited the city, including the cathedral, castle and Steep Hill.

The two also dined and went fishing in Lincoln, where they said they had a very good time. Once recharged, they left Lincoln to Cleethorpes, the final road test destination.

At the end of the segment, Jeremy Clarkson and James May concluded that while Lincoln is a nice place to break down in, the electric cars they tested were not replacements for petrol cars, saying hybrid vehicles are a more versatile solution.

Episode 6 of Top Gear series 17 can be watched on BBC iPlayer until August 7, 2011

Read people’s reactions to the episode below: