Across the world, Electric Vehicles (EVs) are dominating conversations about modernization and building a more sustainable world. They’re poised to change the automotive industry as we know it. The United States has quickly become a hub of EV development, and while people usually think of the West Coast and Silicon Valley as the predominant engine of technological advancement, the Southeastern US is quickly developing its own reputation in the EV movement.
Electric cars are gaining popularity due to several problems consumers and manufacturers are seeing today: growing gasoline prices, reluctance to rely on foreign oil, and mounting environmental protections. And according to Energy.gov, if all the light-duty vehicles in the U.S. transitioned to hybrids or plug-in electric vehicles using current technology, we could reduce our dependence on foreign oil by 30-60 percent and reduce the carbon pollution from the transportation sector by as much as 20 percent.
The Southeast (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee) is a leader in EV manufacturing investment and job creation, accounting for at least 14% of the passenger EV manufacturing jobs while representing 18% of the U.S. population. Additionally, despite overall US auto sales increasing only 3% last year, electric vehicle sales in the Southeast jumped 48%.
The future of transportation is electric, and the implications will be felt in nearly every industry. As it becomes clearer that we are on the cusp of a massive change, companies must work together to reskill and retrain their employees to ensure they have the skills they need to thrive in their future roles.
With electrified vehicles poised to make up a larger portion of the vehicle market, it is critical that new models be built and services provided to serve this emerging industry. The EV market is growing rapidly and changing how we think about mobility. However, there are a number of things companies can do today as we prepare for tomorrow.
The key to surviving this major industry shift is reskilling, investing in the current workforce, and attracting employees with the skills that will be desirable in the future. The sooner these initiatives begin, the easier the transition will be over the next decade.
Check out the Electric Vehicle Landscape infographic to learn more about EV’s in the Southeast.