The entrepreneur and former Social Democratic MP Jan Emanuel does not hold back his words when he criticizes electric cars. He believes that developments have confirmed his criticisms and asserts that electric car owners are “duped.”

It is in a column in the automotive magazine Auto Motor & Sport that the outspoken car enthusiast once again states that those who buy electric cars are being duped.

In the column, he admits that many of his previous opinions about electric cars were based more on gut feeling than on facts. He concedes that some statements were poorly thought out generalizations about electric cars.

”A bit like not wanting the Covid vaccines”

He further claims that electric cars will be hopeless to sell second-hand, that their value will plummet, and that they are more a disposable item than a car. These statements have sparked angry reactions, and he has received heavy criticism for his stance.

According to Jan Emanuel, the electric car hype is almost comparable to a religion.

The climax came when, in 2024, I said that “everyone who buys an electric car is duped.” That made headlines and made a great many people angry. Furious. The electric car had become a religion; questioning them was a bit like criticizing migration, Pride, or not wanting to take 567,000 shots during Covid.

At the same time, he now argues that developments in the market have made his previous criticism appear less unfounded. In the column, he especially highlights the economic problems surrounding electric cars—for both manufacturers and car owners.

The former Social Democrat politician refers, among other things, to reports stating that traditional car manufacturers have struggled to make their electric car programs profitable. According to information in Dagens Industri, for example, Ford Motor Company has incurred very large losses from its investments in electric models.

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Another issue raised is the resale value on the second-hand market. According to Jan Emanuel, several electric car models have lost significantly more in value than many buyers expected.

We now know that the second-hand market for electric cars was a disaster. Some have lost 45–50 percent of their value in three years.

He also points to costs for service and repairs, particularly when it comes to batteries.

Battery replacements can amount to sums that exceed the car’s residual value.

The climate advantage is shrinking

According to him, the environmental argument behind the electric car transition is more complex than it is often portrayed in the debate. He highlights, among other things, the large energy consumption in battery manufacturing and points out that the climate benefit largely depends on how the electricity is produced.

There are studies showing that electric cars as a whole emit less carbon dioxide over their lifetime than cars with combustion engines, but the difference varies depending on the energy mix. If the electricity comes largely from coal or oil, the climate benefit decreases significantly.

ALSO READ: Researchers: No demonstrable emission reductions with electric cars

In the column, he also addresses the ethical issues linked to the extraction of battery metals. Cobalt, lithium, and nickel are often mined in regions where working conditions are heavily criticized and where environmental impact from mining can be great.

The financial calculus became painful for both manufacturers and consumers. The ethical costs were high. Child labor and deplorable working conditions are bad, even if the virtue signaling of the outcome feels good. 

He also believes that the lifespan of traditional cars is sometimes underestimated in the climate debate. As an example, he mentions that he still owns his first car, manufactured in 1945, and questions how many electric cars from today’s model years will still be in use several decades from now.

Despite the harsh criticism, Jan Emanuel states that he does not believe that electric cars have no future. At the same time, he stands by his fundamental thesis that electric car buyers have made a poor deal.

I’m not saying that the electric car is pointless or that the technology has no future. I also take back that all electric cars are ugly. That isn’t true. But I maintain that those of you who bought an electric car in 2024 or earlier have been duped. But now I can say it in a more thought-through way. And unfortunately, those who bought after 2024 too, just not as much.

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