During a meeting with the environment and climate change committee, Rowan Atkinson was blamed for the slow sale of electric cars. The Green Alliance, a thinktank group, cited an article written by Atkinson and published in The Guardian last summer as one of the main obstacles the government faces in its aim to phase out petrol and diesel cars by 2035. The article, titled “I love electric vehicles – and was an early adopter. But increasingly I feel duped,” has been roundly debunked. In a letter read out at the meeting, the Green Alliance said that Atkinson’s comments were an example of “misleading” reports about electric vehicles.
In the article, Atkinson wrote: “Increasingly, I’m feeling that our honeymoon with electric cars is coming to an end, and that’s no bad thing.” The Green Alliance claimed that damaging articles and false claims like Atkinson’s could be the reason electric car sales have been slow. They argued that 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.
Atkinson’s remarks were used in the House of Lords as an example of misleading reports on electric vehicles. This comes as the UK Government plans to put a ban on new petrol, diesel and hybrid cars and vans for sale in the UK by 2035. Green Alliance warned that electric vehicle sales must be rapidly ramped up within the next decade, creating a new market equivalent to the current size of the Ford Fiesta, Britain’s best-selling car.
Atkinson was last seen on screens alongside Timothee Chalamet in the film Wonka. In a four-star review of the film, NME said, “Wonka has charm, heart and eye-popping visuals from start to finish.” The film’s emotional beats come from Willy’s flowering friendship with book-loving orphan Noodle, and while it’s not an immaculate confection, it’s moreish enough to become a future festive favourite
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