EVs are billed as the future. But a potential skills gap is sparking concerns about cost and safety
A mechanic working on an electric car at a garage in Carquefou, France, in November 2022. The EU is looking to increase the number of EVs on its roads in the coming years.
Loic Venance | AFP | Getty Images
From seatbelts to airbags and radios to parking sensors, today’s cars are packed with innovations that have transformed the vehicles we drive.
Thanks to growing concerns about emissions from road-based transportation, several big economies are gearing up for another huge change: the mass rollout of electric vehicles.
The U.K., for instance, wants to stop the sale of new diesel and gasoline cars and vans by 2030 and will require, from 2035, all new cars and vans to have zero tailpipe emissions.
The European Union, which the U.K. left on Jan. 31, 2020, is pursuing similar targets. And over in the U.S., California — America’s most populous state — is banning the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035.
The above goals above are years away but, bit by bit, changes are already being seen on the ground.
Take the U.K., for example. According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, 2022 saw factories there produce 234,066 battery electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid electric vehicles, a record number that accounted for 30.2% of total car production.
“Total BEV production rose 4.8%, with hybrid volumes up 4.3%, and boosting output of these vehicles will be critical in the attainment of net zero, for both the UK and major overseas markets,” the industry body said.
As the number of EVs on our roads increases, a workforce with the knowledge to fix and properly maintain them will be needed.
There are concerns, however, that a skills gap may emerge in the near future, creating a big headache for both the automotive sector and drivers.
In January, the Institute of the Motor Industry — a professional association for those employed in the sector — said roughly 16% of technicians in the U.K. had the relevant qualifications to work on electrified vehicles.
“The IMI predicts that the number of IMI TechSafe qualified technicians required to work with electric vehicles by 2030 is 77,000, increasing to 89,000 by 2032,” it said.
“Aligned to Auto Trader Insight predictions, this suggests the skills gap — when there won’t be enough technicians to service the electrified vehicle parc — will appear in 2029,” it added. “Parc” is a term the SMMT says represents the “total stock of cars on the roads.”
The size of this skills gap, according to the IMI’s January 2023 forecast, will leap from 700 in 2029 to 13,100 in 2032.
But what would such a scenario actually look like? Steve Nash, the IMI’s CEO, told CNBC there were “a couple of potential issues.”
“One is just the convenience issue of people having to go a lot further than they would want to go to find somebody who’s appropriately qualified to do the work,” he said.
“The other one is potentially cost because, of course, the more demand and the less people there are around [to work on the vehicles] … that could affect the cost of servicing as well.”
Safety is another worry. “That’s always the concern … that if the work is there, and there aren’t the people to do it, then certain people will take a risk — and it genuinely is a risk,” Nash said.
“Some of these vehicles are operating on anything up to sort of 800 volts of direct current … I mean, you don’t need anything like that to be lethal, of course,” he added.
Breaking things down
Nash acknowledged the importance of viewing the new generation of vehicles as being “electrified” and made up of pure electrics, hybrids and plug-in hybrids.
“But fundamentally, electric vehicles are totally different to internal combustion engine vehicles,” he said.
“So somebody who has spent their life working on internal combustion engines can’t simply make the switch from one to the other.”
“And there are inherent risks involved in that because … electrified vehicles operate at very high voltages.”
During his interview, Nash stressed the importance of having a skilled workforce. He argued that while those working on cars face the biggest risk, “it isn’t a risk if you know what you’re doing, it isn’t a risk at all.”
“There are risks associated with working on internal combustion engines, but … we’ve had 100 years to get used to that.”
The IMI is not alone in keeping a close eye on how the increasing numbers of electric vehicles on our roads will play out.
In a statement sent to CNBC, AVERE, The European Association for Electromobility, touched upon the changes taking place in the automotive workforce.
“There is a shift in the market, with jobs moving from vehicle production, as EVs require less intensive work than fossil fuel vehicles, to the production of batteries,” it said. “We see more EVs on the roads and more charging infrastructure installed.”
This transition, it added, is creating “a significant demand for skilled labourers to fill the many upcoming open positions.”
“As e-mobility growth becomes more important by the year, there is a pressing need to fill this gap,” it said.
‘Chipping away at the skills gap’
In January, the IMI expressed concern that “the pace of training” was “waning” despite over 11,500 technicians carrying out the training and qualifications needed to get its IMI TechSafe professional recognition in the first nine months of 2022.
At the time, Nash said it was “crucial the sector continues to train and skill its workforce at significant rates.”
“But with current economic pressures there is concern that training budgets will be the first to be cut,” he added.
Nash went on to describe government support for training as being “vital,” a message he reinforced during his interview with CNBC.
“As far as the technician population is concerned … the people who are working on the cars, I think we just need to see the continuation of the efforts that are going [on] … at the moment.”
“We are chipping away at the skills gap, but that … just needs to be sustained.”
In a statement sent to CNBC, a government spokesperson said that the “number of qualified mechanics for electric vehicles in the UK is currently well ahead of demand.”
“Government is working closely with industry to maintain the UK’s momentum, and we’re confident manufacturers will help ensure they have the trained staff they need to keep up with growing demand,” they added.
“We are making sure that the UK has the skills to remain at the forefront of the EV industry with Skills Bootcamps, as well as through the Electrification Skills Boost and investment in apprenticeships, which will increase to £2.7 billion by 2024-25.”
Tesla has quietly removed the Cybertruck’s range extender from the options in its online configurator.
Does Tesla still plan to bring the product to market?
When Tesla unveiled the production version of the Cybertruck in late 2023, there were two main disappointments: the price and the range.
The tri-motor version, which was the most popular in reservation tallies, was supposed to have over 500 miles of range and start at $70,000.
Tesla now sells the tri-motor Cybertruck for $100,000 and only has a range of 320 miles.
As for the dual-motor Cybertruck, it was supposed to cost $50,000 and have over 300 miles of range. The reality is that it starts at $80,000, and it has 325 miles of range.
However, Tesla had devised a solution to bring the range closer to what it originally announced: a separate battery pack that sits in the truck’s bed. Tesla called it a “range extender.” It costs $16,000 and takes up a third of the Cybertruck’s bed.
Even though the Cybertruck has been in production for a year and a half at this point, the range extender has yet to launch.
Initially, Tesla said that it would come “early 2025”, but we reported that it was pushed to “mid-2025” late last year.
At the time, Tesla also reduced the range that the removable battery pack adds to the Cybertruck to “445+ miles” rather than “470+ miles” for the dual motor – a ~25-mile reduction in range.
Now, Tesla has removed the option from its online Cybertruck configurator. It used to take reservations for the range extender with a “$2,000 non-refundable deposit”, as seen on the image above, but now it’s not in the configurator at all at the time of writing.
It’s unclear if Tesla is not planning to launch the product anymore or if it is just pausing reservations.
In its specs page, Tesla still lists the achievable range of both versions of the Cybertruck with and without the range extender battery:
Electrek’s Take
I’m curious. Is it dead, or does Tesla just want to stop taking reservations for it?
At first, I was curious about the product even though I didn’t think it would make up for Tesla’s significant miss on Cybertruck specs.
However, after it was confirmed that it takes up 30% of your bed and that it needs to be installed and removed by Tesla at a service center, I think it’s pretty much dead on arrival at $16,000.
It’s going to be a product limited to only a few people at best. And now that’s if it makes it to market.
With the option being removed from the configurator, there’s no production timeline available. Again, the last one was “mid-2025”, which is soon.
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Environment
EcoFlow members can save up to 65% on power stations while supporting disaster relief during the 2025 Member’s Festival
Portable power station specialist EcoFlow is kicking off its third annual Member’s Festival this month and is offering a unique new rewards program to those who become EcoFlow members. The 2025 EcoFlow Member’s Festival will offer savings of up to 65% for its participating customers, and a portion of those funds will be allocated toward rescue power solutions for communities around the globe through the company’s “Power for All” fund.
EcoFlow remains one of the industry leaders in portable power solutions and continues to trek forward in its vision to power a new tech-driven, eco-conscious future. Per its website:
Our mission from day one is to provide smart and eco-friendly energy solutions for individuals, families, and society at large. We are, were, and will continue to be a reliable and trusted energy companion for users around the world.
To achieve such goals, EcoFlow has continued to expand its portfolio of sustainable energy solutions to its community members, including portable power stations, solar generators, and mountable solar panels. While EcoFlow is doing plenty to support its growing customer base, it has expanded its reach by giving back to disaster-affected communities by helping bolster global disaster response efforts the best way it knows how– with portable power solutions.
EcoFlow and its members look to provide “Power for All”
Since 2023, EcoFlow has collaborated with organizations worldwide as part of its “Power for All” mission. This initiative aims to ensure access to reliable and timely power to disaster-affected communities across the globe, including rescue agencies, affected hospitals, and shelters, to support rescue and recovery efforts.
This fund most recently provided aid for communities affected by the recent Los Angeles wildfires, assistance to the Special Forces Charitable Trust (SFCT) in North Carolina following severe hurricanes, and support for non-profits engaged in hurricane preparedness in Florida and the Gulf Coast. Per Jodi Burns, CEO of the Special Forces Charitable Trust:
In the wake of devastating storms in Western North Carolina, reliable power was a critical need for the families we serve. Thanks to EcoFlow’s generous donation of generators, we were able to provide immediate relief, ensuring these families and their communities had access to power when they needed it most. We are so impressed with EcoFlow’s commitment to disaster response through their ‘Power for All’ program. It has made a tangible impact, and we are deeply grateful for their support and partnership in helping these families recover and rebuild.
In 2024, the US experienced 27 weather and climate events, each causing losses exceeding $1 billion, marking the second-highest annual total on record, according to National Centers for Environmental Information. The increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters underscore the critical need for reliable and timely power solutions during emergencies, much like EcoFlow and its members are helping provide through the “Power For All” initiative.
To support new and existing EcoFlow members, the company is celebrating its third annual Member’s Festival throughout April to offer a do-not-miss discount on its products and donate a portion of all sales to the “Power for All” fund to provide rescue power to those in need in the future. Learn how it all works below.
Save big and give back during the 2025 Member’s Festival
As of April 1st, you can now sign up to become an EcoFlow member to participate in the company’s exclusive 2025 Member Festival.
As a member, you can earn “EcoFlow Power Points” by completing tasks like registration, referrals, and product purchases and tracking your individual efforts toward disaster preparedness and recovery.
Beginning April 4, EcoFlow members will also be able to take advantage of exclusive discounts of up to 65% off select portable power stations, including the DELTA Pro Ultra, DELTA Pro 3, DELTA 2 Max, DELTA 3 Plus, RIVER 3 Plus, and more. However, these sale prices only last through April 25, so you’ll want to move quickly!
Click here to learn more about EcoFlow’s “Power for All” campaign. To register for EcoFlow’s 2025 Member Festival in the US, visit the EcoFlow website. To register as a member in Canada, visit here.
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Tesla is losing another top talent: its long-time head of software, David Lau, has reportedly told co-workers that he is exiting the automaker.
Tesla changed how the entire auto industry looks at software.
Before Tesla, it was an afterthought; user interfaces were rudimentary, and you had to go to a dealership to get a software update on your systems.
When Tesla launched the Model S in 2012, it all changed. Your car would get better through software updates like your phone, the large center display was responsive with a UI that actually made sense and was closer to an iPad experience than a car.
Tesla also integrated its software into its retail experience, service, and manufacturing.
David Lau deserves a lot of the credit for that.
He joined Tesla in 2012 as a senior manager of firmware engineering and quickly rose through the ranks. By 2014, he was promoted to director of firmware engineering and system integration, and in 2017, he became Vice President of software.
Lau listed the responsibilities of his team on his LinkedIn:
- Vehicle Software:
- Firmware for the powertrain, traction/stability control, HV electronics, battery management, and body control systems
- UI software and underlying Embedded Linux platforms
- Navigation and routing
- iOS and Android Mobile apps
- Distributed Systems:
- Server-side software and infrastructure that provides telemetry, diagnostics, over-the-air updates, and configuration/lifecycle management
- Data engineering and analytics platforms that power technical and business insights for an increasingly diverse set of customers across the company
- Diagnostic tools and fleet management, Manufacturing and Automation:
- Automation controls (PLC, robot)
- Server-side manufacturing execution systems that power all of Tesla’s production operations
- Product Security and Red Team for software, services, and systems across Tesla
Bloomberg reported today that Lau told his team he is leaving Tesla. The report didn’t include reasons for his stepping down.
Electrek’s Take
Twelve years at any company is a great run. At Tesla, it’s heroic. Congrats, David, on a great run. You undoubtedly had a significant impact on Tesla and software advancements in the broader auto industry.
He is another significant loss for Tesla, which has been losing a lot of top talent following a big wave of layoffs around this time last year.
I wonder who will take over. Michael Rizkalla, senior director of software engineering and vehicle firmware, is one of the most senior software engineers after Lau. He has been at Tesla for 7 years, and Tesla likes to promote within rather than hire outsiders.
There are also a lot of senior software execs working on AI at Tesla. Musk has been favoring them lately and he could fold Lau’s responsibilities under them.
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