‘Mr. Bean’ blamed for slow EV car sales in UK

ACTOR Mr. Bean, Rowan Atkinson, has been criticized following the sale of electric vehicles (EVs) in the United Kingdom that is reported to be sluggish or less appealing, as reported by Sky News.

Atkinson’s name was mentioned during a climate change and environment meeting at the House of Lords last week. They said that Atkinson’s comments worsened EV sales in the UK.

The comment was published in The Guardian on June 3, 2023, where Atkinson said, “electric vehicles are not as environmentally friendly as claimed.”

He also commented on the impact of EVs on the environment, their production, alternative fuel sources, car lifespan, and “our honeymoon with EVs is over.”

The following week, The Guardian published another article by Simon Evans, deputy editor of Carbon Brief, who confirmed the inaccuracies of Atkinson’s claims.

In the meeting, the Green Alliance provided its opinion on the main obstacles facing the UK government in the process of phasing out diesel and petrol cars before 2035.

They said, “One of the most damaging articles is the written comment by Rowan Atkinson in The Guardian, which has been proven wrong.”

“Unfortunately, fact-checking will not reach as widely as the initial false claims.”

Last year, the UK government announced the postponement of the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars to 2035. According to them, the change is “more practical, suitable, and realistic,” alleviating the burden on workers.