TV icon & petrolhead blasts ‘safety issue’ with EV after suffering ‘panic attack’ while filming Channel 4 show
TV ICON Kevin McCloud has recently criticised the design of a popular EV model after struggling to get out of it.
The 65-year-old, best known as the host of Grand Designs, revealed that he experienced a “panic attack” while trying to figure out how to open the door of an unspecified make and model of electric car during the filming of an episode of the Channel 4 show.
McCloud, a self-confessed petrolhead with a love for classic cars, shared the incident while appearing on the Fuelling Around podcast, hosted by Jason Plato and Dave Vitty.
He said: “I was in this car the other day, and I had a panic attack because I couldn’t get out of it.
“There was no door handle on the door.
“They were filming me getting out of the car, and I swear to God, they can’t use the shot because it’s just me flapping my hand around, going: ‘Where’s the handle? Where’s the handle?’
“It turns out there’s a tiny button, and it’s barely noticeable.
“There’s got to be some kind of safety issue around that.”
Despite this mishap, McCloud appears to be a fan of EVs and is often spotted driving a Polestar 2.
He also expressed admiration for the BMW i3, having previously owned two of them, describing it as a “really fabulous car”.
McCloud also revealed that he has “one or two runners” and several cars that are “in bits”.
Among his personal favourites are a 1932 Marendaz, a 1921 Lancia Dikappa, and a 1967 Fiat Dino.
Although he seems to enjoy electric cars, McCloud voiced concerns about the direction of EV design.
He criticised the “problem” of manufacturers reverting to “crazy interiors“, which he said included “weird designs and really odd buttons to do stupid things”.
He added: “It doesn’t make any sense.”
McCloud also lamented the trend of producing “massive cars with massive electric batteries”, which he argued results in a homogenised driving experience.
He said: “This is the inevitable conclusion to a process of homogenisation in car design that’s been happening for 30 years.
“If you didn’t have a logo on pretty much any modern car, you wouldn’t know what it was.”