James Sherk, the director of the Center for American Freedom at the America First Policy Institute, expressed concerns about a proposal that could have major implications for auto workers in an opinion piece July 18 published in the Detroit News. Sherk previously was the top labor advisor for President Donald Trump on the White House Domestic Policy Council from 2017 to 2021.
"This proposal has serious implications for auto workers," stated Sherk.
Sherk emphasized that Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, known as the heartland of U.S. automobile production, account for more than two-fifths of the country's auto workers, according to Sherk's analysis model utilizing data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
According to Sherk's model, the stricter mandate aims to push electric vehicle (EV) sales to two-thirds of all U.S. vehicle sales. It could lead to the elimination of about 120,000 jobs in the auto-manufacturing sector. The potential job losses highlighted by Sherk raise concerns about the impact of such a transition on the workforce.
"Such job losses could be seen as a painful necessity if EVs were an inevitable technological transition driven by changes in the market. But they are not," Sherk said in his opinion piece.
Sherk explained EVs tend to be expensive due to costly materials required for batteries. However, he pointed out EVs have simpler assembly processes and fewer parts compared to conventional vehicles.
Sherk stated, "Conventional vehicles have 2,000 moving parts in their powertrains. Tesla EV drivetrains have 17."
Sherk argued that the job losses would be difficult to justify if the shift to EVCs was an inevitable technological transition driven by changes in the market. He pointed out that EVs have both advantages and downsides.
"While EVs have some advantages, they also have considerable downsides," noted Sherk. "They have limited ranges, charging them takes much longer than filling a car with gas, and their performance drops in cold weather. This is why about half of EV owners switch back to conventional vehicles."
