The automotive industry is changing, and so are the skills that automotive workers need to stay successful.
With the rise of electric vehicle (EV) production and advancements in overall vehicle technology, automotive manufacturers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) will need more employees equipped with the expertise to support this transformation.
Keep reading to learn about the trends that are impacting and will continue to impact the automotive industry, the skills manufacturers will need to recruit for, and the skills mechanics will need to learn to keep up.
RELATED: 6 Trends Shaping the Automotive Industry
Trends and Key Skills for the Future of Automotive
As we touched on earlier, two key trends are driving the shift in industry skills:
- The growing demand for electric vehicles
- The rise of more advanced autonomous vehicle features
Let’s explore each of these in more detail.
Electric Vehicle Technology
Electric cars have been around decades, but they’ve only just recently become mainstream.
EV sales in the U.S. jumped 60% between 2022 and 2023, which represents recent government initiatives promoting sustainable transportation and the growing demand from consumers for cleaner travel options.
EVs emit little or no greenhouse gases and have a lower environmental footprint than gas-powered cars because they rely on electricity from a battery instead of an internal combustion engine that burns fossil fuels.
As the demand for EVs grows and the infrastructure to support charging becomes more accessible across the U.S., automotive manufacturers and OEMs alike must evolve their operations and hire new talent to keep with the shift to battery-powered vehicles, including:
- Battery engineers to design, develop, and optimize battery systems in electric vehicles.
- Electrical engineers to work on power distribution and vehicle electrification
- Chemical engineers who can innovate and improve battery chemistry as well as optimize manufacturing processes for producing battery components and other chemical materials used in EVs.
- Manufacturing technicians trained in advanced manufacturing processes specific to electric vehicles.
Car mechanics will need to develop new skills to keep up with the rise in EVs, too. They’ll need:
- Diagnostic skills to troubleshoot and repair complex electrical systems unique to EVs.
- High-voltage safety training to ensure safe handling of electric vehicle systems.
- Software systems knowledge to understand and update an electric vehicle’s onboard software.
Autonomous Driving
Fully autonomous vehicles (cars that can drive themselves) may still be years away, but partially autonomous cars with features like automated emergency braking, lane centering, and adaptive cruise control are already here.
Goldman Sachs predicts that cars with even more advanced automated features—like traffic jam assist, a feature that allows the car to navigate slow-moving traffic without driver intervention—are expected to make up 10% of new vehicle sales by 2030.
As demand for these vehicles grows, both frontline manufacturers and car mechanics will need to acquire new skills.
Manufacturers and OEMs will need to hire more professionals like robotics engineers, AI specialists, and cybersecurity experts to design, build, and maintain the sophisticated systems that power these vehicles.
Mechanics will need to master advanced diagnostics, software maintenance, and sensor calibration. Understanding how technologies like LiDAR (light detection and ranging) and cameras interact with a vehicle’s autonomous software will also be crucial.
Build Future-Ready Automotive Teams with Insight Global
It’s clear in 2024 that we’re in a period of innovation, and every industry is feeling the impact. AI and machine learning are not just helping businesses create better and cleaner financial reports; they’re also helping car makers in producing vehicles with enhanced safety features.
Gas-powered cars contribute heavily to carbon emissions and air pollution, so automotive manufacturers are evolving their production processes and technologies to match the growing demand for sustainable solutions.
But with innovation comes new skills to learn and new talent to hire. How ready are you? As the industry evolves, companies that recruit the necessary talent and invest in upskilling their teams to produce and service vehicles with new technologies will get ahead and stay ahead.
Looking for a partner? Insight Global is an award-winning staffing agency with over 23 years of experience. We help businesses find and hire top automotive talent. Connect with one of our hiring experts today.
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