Rowan Atkinson drives hydrogen-powered Toyota GR Yaris at Goodwood

British actor Rowan Atkinson has made a surprising cameo behind the wheel of a hydrogen-powered Toyota GR Yaris hot hatch, while using one of the automotive industry’s largest annual events to show his support for the zero tailpipe emissions technology.

Toyota has previously shown off this GR Yaris taking part in demonstration runs at World Rally Championship events – showcasing how the car’s turbocharged 1.6-litre three-cylinder petrol engine has been converted to run on hydrogen via a bespoke injection system.

While Mr Atkinson was a self-confessed early adopter of electric-car technology – having received a degree in electrical and electronic engineering in the 1970s – he recently criticised the rise of battery-powered vehicles in a column for UK publication The Guardian.

In a video uploaded to social media platform Instagram, the actor spoke about his belief that hydrogen vehicles – both those which use a fuel cell or a traditional ‘internal combustion engine’ – could be a viable alternative to electric cars towards achieving zero tailpipe emissions.

“That’s why I’m here today, to support the notion of keeping our minds open to how we are going to power cars into the future,” Mr Atkinson told Goodwood Festival of Speed attendees and viewers of the event’s online livestream.

“I think particularly for motorsport, electric racing cars are tricky as they sound like a washing machine moving on to a spin cycle. It’s hard but a lot of people are trying to retain the emotion (of an engine) which only a piston-engined car can give you.

“Maybe we’ll get used to electric racing cars and love them one day, but at the moment there is, let’s say, a certain customer resistance to them.”

Mr Atkinson – star of Blackadder, Johnny English and Mr Bean – is a known car enthusiast, having previously owned a McLaren F1 supercar, Lancia Delta Integrale HF hot hatch and a Honda NSX, while his current collection includes a standard petrol-powered Toyota GR Yaris.

Toyota has been criticised by automotive industry experts for being “late to the party” to invest in electric vehicles, instead believing a range of low- and zero-emission technologies are needed to cater to different buyers – including traditional hybrids, plug-in hybrids and hydrogen technology – not just electric power.