'Mr Bean' Counting?

Rowan Atkinson (actor, comedian and writer) was an early enthusiast (and adopter) of electric vehicles (EVs). He presents, however, an erudite (unsurprising given his Cambridge University, Engineering background) environmental case for why 'keeping your old petrol car, may be better than buying an EV' (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jun/03/electric-vehicles-early-adopter-petrol-car-ev-environment-rowan-atkinson). Atkinson feels that the excessively heavy lithium batteries, lasting only 10 years, is the crux of the problem. He notes that the current production costs of an EV are 70% higher than those of a petrol alternative. Given the qualities of modern cars, Atkinson also believes the current practice of changing a car every 3 years (older cars last much longer), is both wasteful and foolish. Less heavy batteries and alternative fuels (e.g. hydrogen and synthetic products) are all in development. Atkinson's general advice to friends, who ask about purchasing an EV, is 'not to jump just yet'. One might, however, take issue with Atkinson's implication that the planet's current 1.5 bn cars, should eventually be replaced by 'greener' alternatives. Individual car ownership is actually a serious problem itself. Cars consume lots of increasingly scarce materials. Their manufacture and operation will continue to generate massive emissions. It could actually make more sense to 'drive most cars off the road'. This could be done, especially in cities, by making public transport free, efficient and clean.