Will Electric Cars Transform the Workforce?

Gas-powered vehicles "have hundreds of moving parts and other components" that keep mechanics busy, argues CalMatters (which describes itself as a "nonpartisan and nonprofit news organization.")

According to the state, by 2040, nearly 30,000 auto mechanics jobs will be lost in California because electric vehicles need less maintenance and repair. An estimated 24,900 jobs would be gained in other sectors, so the estimated net loss is 39,800 jobs, a minimal amount across the state's entire economy. If the mandate goes into effect, more than half of the 60,910 auto service technicians and mechanics in the state would lose their jobs, according to the air board. As the state shifts to zero-emission vehicles, some industries gain and others lose jobs. The retail trade sector, which includes gas station workers and automobile and parts dealers, would lose 38,669 jobs by the year 2040, or 2% of the retail workforce. The majority of the losses would be at gasoline stations. Air board officials project gas stations to provide charging as the electric vehicle fleet grows. The decrease in gas tax revenue will result in the elimination of 20,831 jobs in state and local government. Thousands of jobs will be created by the transition to electric cars. The power industry companies would benefit the most, with the creation of 5,600 jobs by the year 2040, as car owners spend more on electricity to power their vehicles. The construction industry is expected to gain about 3,600 jobs. The rule wouldn't ban the sale of used cars, and it wouldn't force the state's residents to stop driving gas-powered cars. Californians can import new or used vehicles from out of state. James Sallee, an economist and research associate at the Energy Institute of University of California, Berkeley, said that Californians will still own a lot of gas-powered cars past the year 2035. Sallee said the changes wouldn't cause a big economic downturn within the auto repair industry.

One 67-year-old mechanic still tells CalMatters that "The electric vehicle repair market is just about nonexistent." But another mechanic tells them "I'm not against electric vehicles. I've always loved cars and I'll work on them until I can't anymore. So we have to adjust. We have to get out of our comfort zones."