Electric vehicles are not only transforming transportation, but they're also reshaping the U.S. job market. A new report by the Environmental Defense Fund found that nearly 150,000 "clean car jobs" were created in the U.S. over the last three years.
According to the report, an estimated 194,600 EV production jobs have been created over the past decade. Of those jobs, approximately 145,600 arose after the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in November 2021. About 109,600 of those jobs came after the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in August 2022.
These new occupations include manufacturing and assembling EVs and related components, like batteries and smart car software. Growth in the sector is also expected to create over 825,000 jobs in related industries — like raw material supply — and the broader economy, including local businesses in communities where manufacturing facilities are located.
Per the report, auto manufacturers invested $197.6 billion in U.S.-based EV and EV battery manufacturing facilities over the last decade, supporting the growth. Investments were "dramatically expanded and accelerated" by the Inflation Reduction Act, with two-thirds of them announced since its signing.
President Donald Trump has continually stated that he intends to eliminate large portions of the IRA, which could drastically cut government spending on climate change initiatives, including EV production. Trump and other Republican leaders have historically opposed EVs, arguing that their widespread adoption could lead to job losses in oil, gas, and related industries. Recently, however, Trump's messaging on EVs has been inconsistent, given his relationship with Tesla CEO and donor Elon Musk and his support of the top EV manufacturer.
The EDF report found that most new EV-related jobs are in Republican districts despite the party's historic hesitancy toward and protest of EVs. The report highlighted five states that have "done especially well for both announced investments and jobs" — Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Nevada.
And the industry is only expected to grow. The EDF estimated that EV manufacturing facilities in the U.S. will be capable of producing approximately 4.7 million new electric vehicles each year by 2028.
"Electrification is transforming personal mobility," David Schwietert, chief government affairs and policy officer at the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, told congressional leaders in late July, per the EDF. "It's rewriting global supply chains, rebuilding the domestic industrial base, creating jobs, and underpinning American economic and national security in fundamental ways."
The report, published in collaboration with consulting firm WSP, was recently spotlighted in the EDF's Vital Signs newsletter. Vital Signs is a great source of information on environmental progress, including articles on climate change solutions and positive actions you can take to help the planet.
A growing number of EVs — and EV-related jobs — isn't just good news for the economy; it's good news for the planet. The Environmental Protection Agency reported that the transportation sector is the single largest source of planet-heating pollution in the U.S. due to the prevalence of gas-powered vehicles. While gas-powered vehicles run on dirty energy, driving an EV produces no planet-warming air pollution. The EPA also noted that switching to an EV can improve public health by lowering respiratory irritation, illnesses, and cancers associated with dirty fuel pollution.
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