Michigan’s auto industry faces a wave of layoffs, with autoworkers pointing fingers at the Biden-Harris administration’s electric vehicle (EV) mandates. Stellantis, the company behind Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge, recently announced 2,450 layoffs at its Warren plant. While Michigan has experienced job declines in the industry for decades, workers now attribute the losses to green energy policies accelerating the transition to electric vehicles.
Reduced Labor Demand in EV Production
Isaiah Gordon, a United Auto Workers (UAW) member at Ford’s Rawsonville plant, says EV production requires fewer workers. The shift to hybrid and electric vehicles has left many autoworkers, like Gordon, concerned. Chris Vitale, a Chrysler technician, echoed these concerns, highlighting that EV assembly demands significantly less labor than traditional gas-powered vehicles.
“Electric motors don’t require the same skill or manpower,” Vitale explained, underscoring how job cuts reflect the simplified manufacturing process.
Political and Economic Friction
The Biden administration’s green energy push, including stricter Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emission standards, has intensified frustrations. Workers claim that these mandates, including an emphasis on producing EVs, are too aggressive, ignoring the current consumer demand and the lack of EV infrastructure.
Ford recently scaled back production of its all-electric F-150 Lightning truck, cutting 1,000 jobs. The company reported a $132,000 loss for every 10,000 electric vehicles sold in the first quarter of 2024, highlighting the financial strain.
Despite a $406 million investment in Michigan auto plants by Stellantis, workers like Vitale remain skeptical about future job security.
Source: nypost.com
