The future of the car industry seems to be electric as many manufacturers have pledged to switch to battery power within the next 20 years. But as the world gradually makes the transition from fossil fuels, several issues unique to EVs have come to light. Aside from range anxiety and sourcing exotic materials for batteries, workers are also worrying about job security.

For one, employees at filling stations will be affected. According to this Bloomberg article, there will be a massive reduction in the demand for oil in the US as the country increasingly shifts to EVs in 2040. Whether or not gasoline stations will adapt and turn themselves into charging stations remains to be seen.

Another sector that will be affected by this transition is the metal workers. With EVs no longer requiring things like fuel tanks, exhaust pipes, spark plugs, and fuel injectors, demand for forging and milling will significantly decline. Of course, there is still the business of manufacturing batteries. But with electric cars generally having fewer moving parts, only a portion of the displaced personnel will be able to get jobs at these factories.

President Joe Biden has been encouraging the switch from ICE cars to EVs, and is even targeting that half of vehicles sold in the US will be emission-free by 2030. On the other hand, employee unions are stressing the need for the government to protect workers and ensure that there will be enough jobs for them in the future.