A study by the UK’s House of Lords blames ‘Mr. Bean’ actor Rowan Atkinson for low electric vehicle sales. Sky News mentioned the actor at the House’s environment and climate change committee hearing on Tuesday. At the meeting, the think tank Green Alliance presented its views on the biggest challenges facing the UK government in phasing out petrol and diesel automobiles by 2035, claiming that an essay published by the actor was detrimental to the campaign. Mr. Atkinson made the statement in June 2023, according to the publication.
“One of the most damaging articles was a comment piece written by Rowan Atkinson in The Guardian, which has been roundly debunked,” the think tank told Sky News.
“Unfortunately, fact checks never reach the same breadth of the audience as the original false claim, emphasizing the need to ensure high editorial standards around the net zero transition,” it said to the Upper House of the UK Parliament.
He Wrote That Evs Were “A Bit Soulless” And Questioned the Usage of Lithium-Ion Batteries
Mr. Atkinson’s post was headlined “I love electric vehicles and was an early adopter.” But increasingly I feel duped’. In the piece, the 69-year-old wrote that EVs were “a bit soulless” and questioned the use of lithium-ion batteries.
The piece drew strong condemnation from electric vehicle proponents. According to Simon Evans of the Carbon Brief website, “Mr. Atkinson’s biggest mistake is his failure to recognise that electric vehicles already offer significant global environmental benefits, compared with combustion-engine cars.”
