The phase-out of the internal combustion engine (ICE) is all but inevitable as electrification of the transportation system appears to be one of the only paths to a significant reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Transportation accounts for about 30 percent of US GHG emissions—the largest amount of any sector. A transition to electric vehicles (EVs) won’t be easy and a large number of people whose jobs revolve around fossil fuels and maintaining conventional vehicles will need to adapt as their jobs are significantly altered or eliminated.

On the other hand, the rapid growth of EVs holds the promise of a wide range of new jobs and careers at a variety of education and skill levels. Extraction and processing of battery raw materials, designing and building new battery cells and packs, along with motors and power electronics, creating a charging infrastructure, and even selling and maintaining new EVs will provide a host of opportunities that barely exist today. It’s going to be an exciting ride: Here are a dozen new or changed opportunities that electrification will bring to the job market.

Kevin Clemens is a Senior Editor with Battery Technology.