Britain’s efforts to expand the uptake of electric vehicles have been an uphill battle. The country achieved the milestone of selling its 1 millionth electric car last month, but is still grappling with many challenges, from stalling sales over high costs to other regulatory hurdles.
Public perception is another reason why EVs aren’t being adopted quite as easily—and a high-profile film star may be part of the reason for it.
The Green Alliance, an independent think tank that advocates for environmental leadership, told the House of Lords on Tuesday that actor and comedian Rowan Atkinson, known for his roles as Mr. Bean and Johnny English, was partly to blame for how people think about EVs.
Atkinson, a self-proclaimed motorcar enthusiast, wrote an op-ed for The Guardian last June where he described EVs as “soulless” and not the “environmental panacea” that everyone claims they are.
He added that he felt “duped” for buying one, but acknowledged that the vehicles were “wonderful mechanisms: fast, quiet, and until recently, very cheap to run.”
“Our honeymoon with electric cars is coming to an end,” Atkinson said at the time. “Sadly, keeping your old petrol car may be better than buying an EV.”
The article attracted criticism from industry experts, who argued that the British actor’s arguments were misleading, prompting discussions on whether EVs are the best option we have for cutting carbon emissions in transportation.
Green Alliance argued that information in the public domain, such as Atkinson’s “damaging” op-ed, was skewing the discourse on EVs—and not in a good way.
“One of the most damaging articles was a comment piece written by Rowan Atkinson in The Guardian which has been roundly debunked,” the group said, according to written evidence published by the House of Lords’ Environment and Climate Change Committee Tuesday.
“Unfortunately, fact-checks never reach the same breadth of audience as the original false claim, emphasizing the need to ensure high editorial standards around the net-zero transition.”
The environment-focused think tank also highlighted how right-wing newspaper The Daily Mail has been on a “campaign against EVs,” and although some of its claims have been a misrepresentation, it still “hit home with consumers and policymakers.”
Green Alliance’s written evidence included a number of subjects—such as the U.K. government’s 2030 and 2035 targets set out in September to phase out emission-heavy vehicles in favor of transitioning to EVs, and consumers’ experience with owning EVs.
Atkinson’s agent and Green Alliance have been contacted for comment.
Inching closer to the U.K.’s EV goal—but more work to do
The U.K. government has announced £89 million ($112 million) into new EV-related investments, aimed at making the country a leader in the EV adoption race.
While Britain is certainly a front-runner for EVs among European markets, it’s still the only major country in the region not to offer incentives for the purchase of EVs, making it harder to get people on board.
In response to the difficulties people face in swapping to electric cars, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that he would delay the ban on sales of new petrol cars until 2035 (previously in 2030) in a speech in September.
The House of Lords slammed Sunak’s approach around EVs, saying he was speaking more about the obstacles in slashing emissions than the benefits of achieving it.
“The government must do more to convey a positive vision of the EV transition,” the upper house of the U.K. parliament said in its 128-page report.
“Faced with conflicting claims and alarmist headlines, consumers need a go-to source of comprehensive, clear, and balanced information so they can make informed decisions about their vehicles.”
The committee noted that the government’s lack of “consistent messaging,” left room for wrong information to be circulated in mainstream media and led to misconceptions among consumers.
The report also covered several other topics within the EV industry, such as barriers among Brits when buying EVs and accessing charging infrastructure.
The U.K.’s largest auto industry trade body, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), said in a statement in response to the House of Lords report that many recommendations in it had already been raised by the industry, while highlighting the need for clear communication on the subject of EVs.
“The industry will continue to work with government to ensure this is a transition for all—including ministers whose cars should also be electric by the end of the year,” SMMT chief Mike Hawes said Tuesday.
