Electric cars have long been seen as the future of the American auto industry, and they’ve experienced a slight resurgence as drivers recoiled from record-high gas prices in recent months. But some in the auto industry have harbored fears about potential job losses if drivers in the United States switch en masse to EVs.
EVs accounted for 7.8% of new auto sales in the United States in 2025, down from 8.1% in 2024, Kelley Blue Book estimated. Automakers were once projected to produce as many as 4.7 million electric cars by 2028, according to the Environmental Defense Fund.
But many manufacturers have recently cut back on their EV plans in the past year as the Trump administration has rolled back federal support for the technology in many ways.
Fears about the transition’s impact on American jobs have persisted, despite changes in consumer attitudes toward EVs and the federal government’s support levels.
“One of the most vexing social challenges confronting the transition to EVs at scale is dealing with the effects that governmental EV transition policies will have on millions of jobs across a wide swath of industries,” Robert Charette, a contributing editor to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Spectrum magazine, wrote in a 2023 article.
“By some estimates, upwards of 80,000 auto workers and a similar number in the auto supply chain have already been laid off globally to support the EV transition,” he continued.
How Many People Work in Jobs Connected to the Auto Industry?
More than 7 million people were employed in jobs connected to the auto industry in 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Here’s how the jobs were broken down:
- Motor vehicle and parts manufacturing: 967,100
- Motor vehicle manufacturing: 285,800
- Motor vehicle bodies and trailers: 156,600
- Motor vehicle parts manufacturing: 524,700
- Motor vehicle and parts wholesalers: 371,200
- Motor vehicle and parts dealers: 2,049,300
- Automobile dealers: 1,291,600
- Other motor vehicle dealers: 160,800
- Auto parts, accessories, and tire stores: 596,800
- Automotive repair and maintenance: 1,038,100
Why Are People Concerned About EVs Costing Auto Jobs?
An electric car has 20 to 25 moving parts in its drivetrain, compared with over 2,000 for a traditional gas-powered car, according to the Alpha Motor Corporation. Electric cars also don’t have radiators, fuel tanks, or exhaust systems that can cause problems, spark plugs that need to be replaced every 100,000 miles or so, oil that needs to be changed regularly, or mufflers that eventually wear out.
Additionally, gas stations are typically connected to convenience stores, while EVs can be charged at home by people with garage access. Many public chargers are also popping up in grocery store parking lots, on the theory that EVs take longer to charge, and thus drivers can complete their shopping trips rather than grab a quick soda or snack.
Those concerns have raised fears about job losses in manufacturing, auto repair shops, and gas stations.
“The EV transition must be a just transition,” the United Auto Workers union wrote in a 2023 white paper.
“We cannot allow a race to the bottom for America’s working families,” the union continued. “In a just transition to EVs, jobs in the battery plants that will power this transition must be as good or better than current jobs building internal combustion engine vehicles and components.”
EV supporters have sought to reassure people that there will be plenty of jobs in the auto industry even as cars on the road shift from gas-powered to electric.
“Decarbonizing transportation provides an enormous opportunity for the U.S. job market — potentially creating 2.3 million jobs by 2035,” the Zero Emission Transportation Association, which lobbies in Washington, DC, for EV-friendly policies, said in a 2022 website post.
“Spurring on the development of the domestic EV sector will only serve to put more Americans to work, and supporting the growth of the domestic EV industry is a direct investment in our job security and in our future,” the group said.
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