'Mr Bean' Actor Blamed For Poor EV Sales In The UK: Report

The actor, identifying himself as a "car person" with a degree in electrical and electronic engineering, advised his friends to refrain from purchasing EVs unless they currently own an older diesel vehicle.

During Tuesday's environment and climate change committee meeting in the House of Lords, Rowan Atkinson, the renowned actor best known for his portrayal of Mr Bean, was singled out for allegedly harming the reputation of electric vehicles (EVs) and playing a role in declining sales, the media has reported. The think tank Green Alliance presented its perspective on the primary challenges encountered by the UK government in transitioning away from petrol and diesel cars by 2035, citing an article penned by the actor as detrimental to the cause. According to a report by Sky News, Atkinson was mentioned singled out, who had made the statement in June 2023.

The Green Alliance think tank shared its insights on the primary challenges confronting the government's endeavor to eliminate petrol and diesel cars by 2035. They highlighted that a commentary written by the star of "Johnny English," published in June 2023, which had a detrimental impact on the cause.

The group was quoted in the report as saying in a letter: "One of the most damaging articles was a comment piece written by Rowan Atkinson in The Guardian which has been roundly debunked."

"Unfortunately, fact checks never reach the same breadth of audience as the original false claim, emphasising the need to ensure high editorial standards around the net zero transition."

The renowned actor's article was headlined: "I love electric vehicles - and was an early adopter. But increasingly I feel duped." Atkinson, in his piece, expressed his opinion that electric vehicles (EVs) were somewhat lacking in character and criticised the utilisation of lithium-ion batteries in them.

The actor, identifying himself as a "car person" with a degree in electrical and electronic engineering, advised his friends to refrain from purchasing electric vehicles (EVs) unless they currently own an older diesel vehicle.

Meanwhile, Simon Evans, from the Carbon Brief website, pointed out that Atkinson's primary error lies in his failure to acknowledge that electric vehicles already provide substantial environmental advantages on a global scale, in comparison to traditional combustion-engine cars, as quoted by The Telegraph.