Yue Ke | ANL

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Presentation Description

Although fuel efficiencies have greatly improved in the last decade, transportation electrification in the light duty vehicle segment has emerged as the main pathway to reaching zero emission vehicle (ZEV) goals. The development and production of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) have seen significant shifts in the automotive supply chain as automakers implement the new propulsion technology. Indeed, between 2010 and 2023, more than $270 billion have been invested in research and development, manufacturing, and deployment of BEVs and electric vehicle supply equipment (Gohlke et al., 2024; DOE, 2024). These investments have occurred in diverse industries, such as battery technologies, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and BEV assembly, to name a few, and include both green- and brownfield development. In addition to retooling and constructing additional manufacturing capabilities, the investments can have an impact on jobs and other economic indicators. However, company investment announcements frequently do not include the potential direct (or indirect) economic impacts of their investments. As a result, it is difficult to predict the impacts of manufacturer investments during the transition to BEVs. Thus, this paper investigates the relationship between amounts invested and jobs provided. Using a panel regression with two-way state and time fixed effects, preliminary results indicate that approximately 1.3 jobs are created per $1 million invested. Amongst foreign-owned automakers, this number increases to 1.8 jobs. This research is important to help understand the linkage between industry investments and local economic impacts. Additionally, it may shed light on the extent to which investments are sufficient to meet market demand and ZEV goals.

Department of Energy (DOE). Building America’s Clean Energy Future. https://www.energy.gov/ invest.

Gohlke, David, Iyer, Rakesh Krishnamoorthy, Kelly, Jarod, Monthe, Astrid Pene Njine, Wu, Xinyi, Barlock, Tsisilile A., and Mansour, Charbel. Quantification of Commercially Planned Battery Component Supply in North America through 2035. United States: N. p., 2024. Web. doi:10.2172/2319242.

Speaker Biography

Yue Ke is a transportation economist in the Energy Systems and Infrastructure Analysis Division at Argonne National Laboratory.

Dr. Ke assesses energy and economic impacts of advanced vehicle, fuels, and mobility technologies. He also analyzes supply chain and technology trends for transportation electrification in the US. His research interests include transportation and economic development, transportation energy, regional economics, and spatial econometrics.

Hailing from Davidson, North Carolina, Dr. Ke received his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Purdue University and his M.S. in Applied Economics from Oregon State University. Before joining ANL, he worked for the Oregon Department of Transportation, the United Nations World Food Programme, and the US Peace Corps.

Co-presenters

Matteo Zullo
ANL

Marianne Mintz
ANL

Yan Zhou
ANL

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