Rowan Atkinson, known for his acclaimed role as Mr. Bean, has shown his disappointment with the electric car. As an early adopter and a licensed engineer, he says the environmental impact is not that positive and the technology still has a ways to go.
Rowan Atkinson’s name may not sound familiar to you, but if we call him by the mythical character he played so many times riding in a Mini, it’s impossible. The actor who gave life to Mr Bean has expressed his disappointment and feeling of being cheated in relation to electric cars.
You may not have known his name, but it may surprise you more that his background is an electrical and electronics engineer with a master’s degree in control systems. Known for his humor and love of cars, he has shared your opinion on the early adoption of electric vehicles and the challenges you have facedas an expert and as a user.
A lifelong passion for automobiles, Rowan Atkison was initially drawn to electric vehicles. 18 years ago, he bought his first hybrid car and, later, an electric car pure nine years ago.
In an article in his own handwriting in The Guardian. He acknowledges having enjoyed his experience with these vehicles, but having begun to question the environmental benefits attributed to them.
“Electric vehicles can be a bit soulless, but they are wonderful machines: fast, quiet and, until recently, very cheap to drive. But more and more, I feel somewhat cheated ”, she has declared.
Furthermore, despite the growing popularity of electric cars, the availability of charging stations remains limited And they’re often busy or out of order, which is a big drawback when using them, he mused.
The environmental impact is still disappointing
The environmental impact of electric cars worries the actor. He believes that although these vehicles do not emit polluting exhaust gases, the manufacturing of the lithium-ion batteries used in most electric cars generates high greenhouse gas emissions.
“Increasingly, I feel like our honeymoon with electric cars is coming to an end, and that’s not a bad thing: we’re realizing that a broader range of options needs to be explored if we’re going to properly address the serious issues. environmental,” he explains.
In this sense, he wanted to point out that, according to Volvo, emissions during the manufacture of an electric car are almost 70% higher than those of a gasoline car. This is due to the need for rare earth metals and the large amount of energy required to produce the batteries.
Despite his disappointment, Rowan Atkison acknowledges lThe importance of continuing to advance in technology. He believes that the new solid-state batteries promise to be lighter and more efficient, and that hydrogen is also emerging as an interesting alternative.
However, is cautious about the timing of a massive implementation of new improvements who knows that they will take time, and that in the meantime, the industry will continue manufacturing millions of electric cars with obsolete and polluting batteries.
Changing the idea of changing cars every few years
Ultimately, the renowned world figure argues that society’s relationship with automobiles must change. Instead of following the “fast fashion” model of changing cars every few years, he suggests keeping vehicles longer to reduce new car production and associated emissions.
In addition, it advocates accelerate the development of synthetic fuels or hydrogen and looking for ways to keep existing cars that still have a lot to offer. His words, more serious than what we are used to from the actor, reflect the disappointment and concerns of many consumers.
