Edmund Blackadder Blamed For Poor British EV Sales
Rowan Atkinson has been blamed for “damaging” the reputation of electric vehicles (EVs) and contributing to slow sales
The actor was name-checked in the House of Lords on Tuesday during its environment and ‘climate change’ committee meeting.
Thinktank Green Alliance gave its views on the main obstacles the government faces in its bid to phase out petrol and diesel cars before 2035 and said a comment piece by the Johnny English star published in June 2023 was damaging to the cause.
The pressure group told peers in a letter that was shared:
“One of the most damaging articles was a comment piece written by Rowan Atkinson in The Guardian, which [was ‘fact-checked’ by Carbon Brief’s deputy editor Simon Evans, hardly an unbiased commentator. –CCD Ed.]
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 69-year-old actor’s piece was headlined:
“I love electric vehicles – and was an early adopter. But increasingly I feel duped.”
Atkinson wrote that EVs were “a bit soulless” and criticized the use of their lithium-ion batteries.
He suggested solutions like drivers keeping the same car for longer periods and the increased use of synthetic fuels would negate the need for EVs, saying:
“Increasingly, I’m feeling that our honeymoon with electric cars is coming to an end, and that’s no bad thing.”
The actor, who described himself as a “car person” having a degree in electrical and electronic engineering, said he advised friends to “hold fire for now” on EVs unless they have an old diesel vehicle.
The Guardian published a response the following week from Simon Evans, deputy editor and senior policy editor of climate news site Carbon Brief, which looked to debunk Atkinson’s claims.
Mr. Evans wrote:
“Atkinson’s biggest mistake is his failure to recognize that electric vehicles already offer significant global environmental benefits, compared with combustion-engine cars.”
Atkinson’s views were used to make a wider point about “misleading” reports stunting EV sales.
Other challenges highlighted during the committee meeting included insufficient numbers of charging points, higher prices on EVs, and “a lack of clear and consistent messaging from the government“.
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Header image: BBC
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Dave
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EVs, Unsafe at any Speed!🔥🔥🔥
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VOWG
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EVs offer zero environmental value. Only the terminally stupid could possibly think so.
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Howdy
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Soulless has allways been a yardstick of any vehicle – muted exhaust versus the breathing dragon. Changing the exhaust to a performance model will transform the perception of a car, but not the silly popping noise versions so common these days. Sound like a maladjusted mixture setting…
The sound of the engine/exhaust is one of the pleasantries of the ICE. Replacing it with a sound of a ‘spaceship’ does not cut it, like being towed around with the whine of a dodgy final drive.
Even diesel cars have come with a speaker that sounds like a supercar but are not for the, how should I say, dedicated driver?
There is a maxim that ‘real’ drivers choose rear wheel drive because should one push it, they are the hardest to handle, requiring greatest skill. I guess the ICE is the rear wheel drive of the motoring world then, purely as it is lesser as an enthusiasts drive. There are also however, lesser performance vehicles that come with built in handling aids.
Owners say rising insurance, scrapping of incentives and subsidies and ‘soullessness’ are forcing them to pull the plug on driving EVs
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13060787/electric-car-sales-owners-rowan-atkinson.html#comments
While EV has a punch in the short term, over distance, they are breathless. Charging makes them a niche product for me. I certainly couldn’t use one.
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Anapat
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Nope it’s the Pope.
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