Rowan Atkinson blamed for poor electric car sales
Rowan Atkinson has been blamed for poor sales of electric cars in a report by the House of Lords.
Atkinson, known for Mr Bean and the Blackadder series, found himself the centre of a real-life drama on Tuesday.
The Lords’ environment and climate change committee was told that the actor, 69, was partly at fault for “damaging” public perceptions of electric vehicles (EVs).
New petrol and diesel cars are set to be banned from 2035 under the Prime Minister’s net zero strategy. That ban is supposed to encourage motorists to start buying EVs, but adoption has been slower than the strategy’s advocates have hoped.
“One of the most damaging articles was a comment piece written by Rowan Atkinson in the Guardian which has been roundly debunked,” the Green Alliance pressure group told peers.
Atkinson described EVs as ‘soulless’
Atkinson, who has degrees in electrical engineering and control systems, described EVs in a June 2023 opinion article as “a bit soulless” but “wonderful mechanisms”.
He wrote: “But increasingly, I feel a little duped … I’m feeling that our honeymoon with electric cars is coming to an end, and that’s no bad thing.”
His article prompted a backlash from EV advocates, who accused him of misrepresenting the current state of battery technology.
Simon Evans, of the Carbon Brief website, wrote: “Mr Atkinson’s biggest mistake is his failure to recognise that electric vehicles already offer significant global environmental benefits, compared with combustion-engine cars.”
A combination of higher purchase costs, insufficient charging infrastructure and mixed messaging are deterring some motorists from making the switch to EVs, peers warned in Tuesday’s report.
Surface transport UK’s highest-emitting sector
Baroness Parminter, who chaired the committee’s EV inquiry, said: “Surface transport is the UK’s highest-emitting sector for CO2, with passenger cars responsible for over half those emissions.
“The evidence we received shows the Government must do more - and quickly - to get people to adopt EVs,” she continued.
“If it fails to heed our recommendations, the UK won’t reap the significant benefits of better air quality and will lag in the slow lane for tackling climate change.”
Witnesses who testified to the committee about the EV rollout “raised concerns about a lack of clear and consistent messaging from the Government,” something which allegedly “provided a vacuum for inaccurate press reporting to fill the void.”
In support of that claim, the committee’s 128-page report cited a submission from the Green Alliance pressure group, which directly sought to blame the Blackadder star for poor public perception of EVs.
The submission, which accused the actor of “damaging” the public’s view of EVs, was cited by peers as proof of misleading reporting about the drawbacks of electric cars and battery technology.
Two committee members drive EVs
Just two members of the committee have said they drive electric vehicles themselves, even though the report warned that the Government’s target of achieving “mass ownership” of EVs risks being delayed.
Chairwoman Baroness Parminter drives an EV, as does Labour peer Lord Grantchester. His political comrade Lord Whitty drives a hybrid car, making him the only other one of the committee’s 13 members to drive a non-petrol or diesel vehicle.
Greg Smith, a member of the Commons transport committee, said politicians who promoted pricey electric cars were “just not operating in the real world”.
He added: “It’s total hypocrisy for people that don’t even drive EVs themselves to have the bare-faced cheek to tell others they should drop an absolute ton of money on one,” he said.
“People should be free to choose what cars they buy and drive. The reliability issues with battery electric cars are real and to try and sweep that under the carpet is just potty.
“EVs are expensive, unproven and environmentally questionable given carbon footprint of construction and disposal. Let people choose for themselves.”
Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said: “Many of the recommendations have already been highlighted by industry, such as charge point rollout ahead of need, equalising VAT on public charging to home charging and the importance of purchase incentives, which could be delivered by a VAT cut.”
VAT is charged on domestic electricity bills at five per cent, but supplies to businesses - such as charging points at motorway service stations - are taxed at 20 per cent.
Critics say this discourages motorists from using public charging points because it inflates the cost of topping up their batteries.
Atkinson’s agent was contacted for comment.
