Mr Bean & Plug-in: Rowan Atkinson Blamed for Struggling EV sales in the UK
Government Policies and Personal Opinions
While Mr Bean probably wouldn’t have been aware of, or particularly interested in the procedures of British Parliament, I am sure Edmund Blackadder most definitely would, especially if he was labelled as a decisive factor. It seems we’ve reached the point where expressing a single personal opinion is enough to get someone entangled into a legislative conundrum, so much so that he gets named as damaging to the entire climate action.
The House of Lords’ Environment and Climate Change Committee, has marked Mr Atkinson’s opinion piece; an article published on June 3rd 2023; as one of the reasons for a drop of EV sales in the UK. One might wonder what kind of horrors were written there? Apparently, the smoking gun is embodied in the author’s impression that EVs are “A bit soulless” followed by a brief analysis whether battery-powered motoring is more eco-friendly than combustion engines, and if so, how much? In reality, the text is nothing more than a personal view from an early EV adopter, a passionate car enthusiast and an Oxford MA of electrical engineering, besides being one of Britain’s most famous living comedians.
What’s so shocking about this case?
Firstly, if a single (and rather moderate) opinion can jeopardize the entire global climate effort, as the House of Lords claims, one has to wonder of the solidity that these efforts are based upon. The UK government’s deadline to eradicate fossil fuel powered vehicles is set for 2035, which seems unrealistic even for the biggest of optimists.
Secondly, the cars with internal combustion engines are still on sale, and thus, consumers have a legal right to choose one. Being shamed for selecting one option over the other is probably not the best way of recruiting someone to your cause.
Thirdly, the actual efficacy and environmental friendliness of EVs is relative at best. While they may not pollute from the exhaust, there are other ways emissions are replenished. Lithium, for one, is very dirty to mine, and just as dirty to process into batteries. Same can be said for cobalt, not to mention battery recycling. If we take into account that batteries remain the single most unreliable part of an EV, and most expensive, chances of selling the vehicle second hand are close to none. Most manufacturers offer an 8-year warranty for the battery, during which it will lose 20-30% of capacity. And then what? Would anyone invest in a used car that might break down for good after a few thousand kilometers, even if regularly serviced? This means that most, if not all EVs sold today will end up in the scrap yard within 10 years, becoming the very thing we want to avoid — waste. Atkinson’s strongest, and most painful argument for his critics, is to drive and maintain a petrol-powered vehicle as long as it runs regularly. In this case, the time frame lasts well over a decade, if not two or even three. The emissions, which not only include exhaust fumes, but also production and recycling, would thus stay at the lowest plausible levels, considering the technology we have at our disposal today.
Finally, we are led to believe the Western civilization is based on an undeniable freedom of personal expression. And yet, if a freely expressed opinion diverges from publicly promoted narratives ever so slightly, a Pandora’s box of denial and suppression is opened throughout the institutions and media alike.
Are EVs the future of motoring? Probably. Oil is bound to run out sooner or later, meaning that a transition to alternate fuels is bound to happen. Battery technology as we have it today is far from being green, efficient or safe. Try putting out an electrical fire, or charging sustainably in sub-zero temperatures. Once the energy storage technology improves, with alternate batteries such as Sodium-ion for instance, electric vehicles will have much more sense. And then there is Hydrogen; a potent and most abundant element in the universe.
Change is good. Only for the better, that is.
This text was not generated, edited or proofread by the algorithm.
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