Electric cars, ecological scandal? Emmanuel Macron responds!

In a new video responding to internet users, President Emmanuel Macron links ecology and electric cars.

Emmanuel Macron increases his media appearances and now conducts Q&A sessions with internet users. On ecology, the President of the Republic shares his knowledge and convictions for his new term running until 2027. A Twitter user questioned the Head of State, asking if: “the electric car” is “an ecological scam.”

Producing 2 million electric cars in France per year

“No, the electric car is not an ecological scam,” responds E. Macron firmly. The president recalls that one in 8 cars sold in France is currently electric. That’s over 12.5%, and even 13% during the first ten months of 2022. A total of 157,831 units have been sold in the country according to AAA-Data. This is more than when he entered the Élysée, where he notes that “we were only at 1 in 30,” or about 3.3%.

Despite the fact that “some are Chinese, and there is transport cost, logistics costs, which produce CO2,” he affirms that “our strategic goal is to produce more here at home, but mainly to control the entire chain.” He explains that the ecological aspect is about “producing on our soil.”

“We have secured the production of one million electric cars in France per year by 2027,” assures the French president. He echoes the commitments of the two major French groups:

• Renault with its Electricity division: Megane, Scenic, R4, R5, and utility vehicles like Kangoo, Trafic, and Master E-Tech electric
• Stellantis aims for 12 electric models including future Peugeot e-308, e-408, e-3008, e-5008, as well as a new Citroën.

Finally, he hopes to reach 2 million electric cars produced in France by 2030.

What about batteries produced in Asia?

“We are told that the battery, which is the heart, is produced in Asia, and that was true five years ago,” declares Emmanuel Macron. It is still true in 2022, as no battery factory currently produces for a model made in France. “We have set up battery Gigafactories, four of which are secured,” yes, but here the head of state is talking about the future, not the present!

He specifies a volume of “2 million batteries produced per year in France by 2027, which is even more than needed for our country.” Here again, producing in France is an ecological argument, in addition to being “good for creating jobs and wealth.”

“Then, the core of these batteries is its components, mainly lithium,” the president wants to “re-extract lithium from our soil,” considering that France “is rich in it.” Several projects such as in Alsace via geothermal energy or a lithium mine in Puy-de-Dôme are underway. Once again, he invokes the ecological flag, as well as that of “sovereignty.”

A green electricity required for electric cars

Finally, E. Macron discusses electricity, the energy used to power electric cars. He wants “decarbonized electricity,” which is already the case in France, reminding us that “more than 70% is nuclear power, and thus very low in CO₂ emissions.”

“If all these conditions are met,” including lithium extraction, battery and car production, and low-carbon electricity, the head of state responds to the internet user that yes, “the electric car is the best ecological solution.”

Another point, “there need to be charging stations accessible to the public.” According to the latest Avere-France survey, 75,279 charging points were available in the country as of October 31, 2022. We are therefore far from the goal of 100,000 promised for… the end of 2021! He thus no longer holds “the objective of 100,000 charging stations,” which he reiterates today.

Also read: Emmanuel Macron: towards a “Made in Europe” bonus for electric cars?