During a recent environmental and climate change committee meeting at the UK House of Commons, the consulting organization Green Alliance stated that a viewpoint from “Mr.Bean” Rowan Atkinson has damaged the sales of electric cars in the country.
In an article published by The Guardian in March 2023, the actor shared that “electric engines seem to not be the panacea for the environment as people claim.” He also spoke about the negative impacts on the environment caused by the production of electric cars, alternative fuels, car lifecycles, and suggested that the trend of favoring electric cars due to their benefits will come to an end soon.
During the meeting, Green Alliance presented its perspective on the main barriers that the UK government faces in its efforts to phase out petrol and diesel cars by 2035, and mentioned that “one of the most damaging articles is Rowan Atkinson’s share in The Guardian magazine.”
Although a week after the article was published, The Guardian released another article to emphasize that the statements Mr. Bean shared were only his personal opinions and to correct misleading information, Green Alliance’s research team still believes that the consequences of the initial inaccurate statements cannot be denied.
In addition, the research team also indicated other factors that impact the “greening” process of transportation in the UK, such as the insufficient number of charging points, high prices of electric cars, and the lack of clear and consistent messages from the government.
Last year, the UK government announced the postponement of the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars until 2035 to “reduce the burden on workers.”
