The Outlook of Mechanics with the Rise of Electric Cars

The rise of electric cars is shifting the automotive industry and the profile of driving in general. While electric vehicles have many benefits, the tremendous influx of them has many wondering how they will affect mechanics. What does the future of mechanics look like in the face of electric cars?

The Benefits of Electric Vehicles

The rise of electric cars across the world indicates that something is working. Electric vehicles certainly bring a lot to the table. The ride in an electric car is smoother as a general rule. Their biggest draw is probably their energy efficiency. While producing almost no emissions, electric vehicles have been shown to be 85–90% efficient. This translates into major savings on fuel, saving owners an average of approximately $800 every year.

Electricity is also a renewable energy source, making it a more responsible choice for the planet. Because they don’t use fossil fuels or other common vehicular components like spark plugs and timing belts, electric vehicles also require significantly less maintenance. While this is great news for vehicle owners, it can make the members of the auto mechanic industry very nervous.

Maintenance with the Rise of Electric Cars

That being said, electric vehicles are not totally maintenance free. The rise of electric cars does not mean that being an auto mechanic is a dying trade. Some of the maintenance electric vehicles require is the same as cars with internal combustion engines. Electric cars still have transmissions and tires, and these still need to be serviced (with the fluid replaced) and rotated, respectively. Suspensions, brakes, and windshield wipers are sticking around, so basic maintenance is too. 

However, when compared to combustion engine vehicles, maintenance for electric vehicles is going to look very different. Traditional internal combustion engines for automobiles have approximately 2,000 moving parts. Electric vehicles have about 20. Elements like radiators, mufflers, and exhaust systems are a thing of the past. That fact alone means that taking care of electric vehicles is going to be a change. 

Fewer moving parts isn’t the only reason electric vehicles will need less maintenance. The very nature of how they operate also puts less strain on the components of the vehicle, so tear and tear is significantly reduced. For example, electric vehicles utilize regenerative braking, which converts energy from the brake pads into electricity to recharge the battery instead of letting that energy bleed into the surrounding region and cause wear.

The rise of electric cars cuts down on the need for the services that mechanics perform most regularly. Such vehicles don’t have combustion engines, meaning no more oil changes or servicing fuel filters, fuel injectors, cylinders, or gaskets. They don’t have belts, meaning no replacing belts or chains. They also produce almost no emissions, so no adjustments to the catalytic converter or exhaust system.

In such a climate, what are mechanics expected to do?

The Job Outlook

The rise of electric cars is only projected to grow. In California, legislation has been proposed to phase out all new gas-powered cars by 2035. They anticipate this will displace almost 32,000 mechanics by 2040, leading many to wonder what will happen to mechanics with the rise of electric cars.

Fortunately, many are still hopeful. The switch to electric vehicles indicates less of a demise of an industry as a transition or evolution. Mechanics have been quoted as saying that the job hasn’t shrunk but expanded, and that has to do with the different nature of electric vehicle maintenance.

While the number of moving parts is shrinking, electric vehicles will still need to be serviced. That service is shifting away from an understanding of nuts and bolts and toward fluency in computer programming. This is certainly a change and a challenge, but it also provides growing and learning opportunities for those in the industry.

Mechanics who want to be ahead of the game can hone their software engineering skills to improve their relevancy and specialty skills. The discipline is becoming mandatory in many tech schools across the country, indicating that being able to service both traditional electric vehicles is truly the way of the future. 

For some mechanics, this shift to computer-based technology is unwelcome, and not everyone is willing to make the transition. Many seasoned veterans especially show a resistance to change because it means learning a whole new skill set. That attitude may not be prohibitive. While some places, like California, are phasing out of new combustion vehicle production, many others have no such restrictions, and regardless of new legislation, traditional vehicles are in no short supply. There are so many in circulation that mechanics will always have some to tinker with.