Will Electric Vehicles Drive Mechanics Out of Business?

Nope, but that hasn't stopped some critics from saying so.

Take, for example, an article posted by The Street.  Though there are several inaccuracies (the author uses a Chevy Volt as an example of an electric vehicle that requires little service...huh?) within the article that we won't discuss here, the basic premise is this:

"For the next 50 years, one business I don't want to be in is the car service business. Why? Because with the conversion to electric cars, there will be very little to service."

True, electric vehicles require less service (there's no oil to change or spark plugs to replace), but in the end, an electric is still an automobile with parts that inevitably wear out or break.

For example, an electric vehicle will need suspension work as those bits (tie rods, ball joints, shocks, etc.) wear.  In addition, wear-and-tear items will still need routine replacements.  This is no different (aside from brakes due to the regenerative nature) in an electric vehicle than in a conventional automobile.  On the inside, EVs differ even less.  Buttons still break or malfunction.  HVAC systems will still go nuts from time to time and electric seats will fail to move to your preferred setting.  A window may even remain stuck open.

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Service, at routine intervals, is still required for electric vehicles.

The future for auto mechanics is much the same as it is today.  They will always be in high demand, but will perhaps need a bit of specialized training to repair the ever-advancing vehicles that automakers continue to pour out.  But rest assured, auto mechanics will not be pushed out of business by the growth of electric vehicles.

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