Have you been shopping for a new vehicle lately? In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, acquiring a new vehicle—whether brand new or pre-owned—has been a bit of a challenge, as supply chain disruptions led to headaches for car dealers and consumers alike.
Those shopping for a new vehicle for the first time in today’s market will find a wider variety of types of vehicles than ever before. Consumers are faced with not only a choice of type of car, such as a sedan, a truck, or an SUV, but also a choice of what type of engine will power that vehicle: gasoline, electric, or a hybrid mix of both?
There has been a tremendous focus on electric vehicles (EVs) over the past several years. Much of that focus has been directed toward auto manufacturers, with governments around the world pushing auto manufacturers to invest in developing new EV and hybrid vehicles in order to move the auto industry away from the fossil fuel engines they’ve always produced.
But what about the demand side of the equation? Do consumers really want EVs and hybrids? Whether it’s a question of driving range or where to recharge a vehicle, there are many questions consumers must answer if they’re considering an EV or hybrid. Is the population really ready to embrace EVs wholeheartedly?
According to a recent Inside EVs article, author Iulian Dnistran believes the answer to that question is a definitive “yes.” Dnistran cites a new Accenture survey “which looked at driver preferences across the world and discovered that the balance is shifting toward EVs more than some might think.”
The survey found that “[o]ver 50% of drivers want to get an EV in the next decade.” The percentage of drivers looking forward to driving an EV varies around the world. “China leads the pack, with 65% of drivers surveyed saying EVs are the future.” On the low end, only 37% of Germans see themselves in an EV in the next decade.
So what about Americans? Are they more like the Germans or the Chinese? One might think that Americans who popularized large, powerful trucks and SUVs might be less enthusiastic about EVs. However, “54% of drivers surveyed said they expect to own an EV within the next 10 years, with only 11% saying they will never buy a battery-powered car.”
Dnistran notes that these findings “echo some of the recent sales figures” that saw the U.S. become “the world’s second-largest EV market in the third quarter, after China.” Perhaps most importantly for the growing EV industry, consumers may already be moving past the “early adopter stage.”
“As for what the people looking to get their first EV are looking for…the majority of respondents said their priorities are reliability (83%), safety (82%) and value for money (82%). These are similar criteria as people who look for an internal combustion vehicle as their next purchase–in other words, sustainability is no longer a priority for the next wave of buyers, as was the case with early enthusiasts.”
Dnistran concludes, “This is all good news. People want EVs, even if we’re talking about a time frame of a decade. Moreover, car manufacturers are stepping up and offering more and more electric models.” Based upon this data, it’s reasonable to assume that we’ll continue to see auto manufacturers investing in more and more EV production facilities.
These facilities will demand a large number of workers with specialized skills, which will in turn require both upskilling of current workers and training current students with the advanced skills they’ll need to be successful in the jobs on the horizon.
The experts at Amatrol have been working hand-in-hand with industry and educational institutions for years to design training programs featuring eLearning curriculum and hands-on experience with trainers equipped with industrial components workers will encounter on the job.
When it comes to EV training, Amatrol is once again leading the way. Recently, Amatrol hosted the State of Ohio Electric Vehicle Workforce Strategy meeting at its headquarters in Jeffersonville, Indiana, to help chart a course for preparing the Ohio workforce for the jobs that EV battery and vehicle manufacturing facilities will soon bring. Click here to watch a video about that meeting.
What Amatrol has learned is that, in many ways, the development of EV battery and vehicle manufacturing facilities shares similarities with semiconductor manufacturing facilities. They both represent precision manufacturing that requires advanced automation skills.
Visit Amatrol online to learn more about its EV Manufacturing Program. You can also download Amatrol’s EV Manufacturing Program brochure. For more information about how Amatrol can help you upskill your current workers, contact an expert at Amatrol today!
