A commonly repeated estimate is that, with fewer parts under the hood, EVs require 30% to 40% less labor than gasoline cars. It’s not that simple, though, and some researchers argue that the labor savings of electric vehicles have been greatly overstated. People assume those estimates are true, said researcher Turner Cotterman, because they’re based largely on the number of moving parts in an EV.
The jobs needed to build EV batteries are one reason the Inflation Reduction Act, which sets rules around federal tax incentives for electric vehicles, offers consumers more credits if they purchase an EV with batteries made in the United States. And a number of automakers, both US-based as well as European and Asian manufacturers, including Toyota, BMW and Hyundai, have announced battery-manufacturing projects in the US.