In an interview with BBC's TopGear on Tuesday, Leonardo DiCaprio was asked many questions about his personal life and up-coming movies, but the most shocking discovery from the interview was that he reportedly was responsible for the production of hybrid plugin cars that Fisker Automotive has been producing.
After making a trip to the White House in the late 1990s at the request of then-vice president Al Gore, he was given an environmental lesson which DiCaprio really took to heart. It was a life changing moment for the Hollywood star, and it inspired him and his family to start the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation in 1998, which is determined to secure a more maintainable future for our planet and all of its residents.
DiCaprio is now known as one of the most recognizable faces fighting for a cleaner planet. He has used his fame to promote his beliefs many times like when he drove to the Oscar's one year in a Prius knowing that thousands of photographers would be there. He was simply hoping to influence his fans to become more concerned about the environment.
His plan worked better than he ever could have hoped.
Fisker Automotive co-founder Henrik Fisker says that seeing DiCaprio show up to the event in a Prius at inspired Fisker to start up his company.
"I saw (DiCaprio) getting out of the Prius, and I thought there's got to be a market for an environmentally friendly car which goes beyond the Prius. That was my first inspiration," said Fisker to TopGear.
DiCaprio, now an investor in Fisker Automotive, liked the idea of a plugged in hybrid, but was concerned over the mileage the vehicle would get and getting stuck somewhere if the car died.
"I started trying hybrids, which were fantastic," said DiCaprio to TopGear. "But you can say that there are lots of vehicles out there that get equal or better mileage. Then I bought two electric vehicles, which I found I never wanted to drive. I was afraid of being stranded on the Pacific Coast Highway and standing at a restaurant for six hours while my vehicle is plugged in."
He hopes to make a financial return on investment in the company, but his biggest concern for the company though is to see Fisker produce cheaper cars. Not everyone can afford to pay for a plugin car and cost shouldn't be the reason people aren't more environmentally friendly.
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