Developing the Future of Transportation | National Geographic
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[Jamie Hall] As we look ahead to an all-electric future, we really talk about not leaving anyone behind.
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The San Joaquin Valley in California. It has some major challenges. It's got some of the most severe poverty and the worst air quality in the entire United States.
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The transportation industry is really at an inflection point. We've got to fundamentally transform this whole sector of the economy. And this particularly includes the communities that are hardest hit by climate change.
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What Valley Clean Air Now is looking at is how we bring climate equity to the places that need it most. There's a lot of need and people rely on these vehicles.
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[Tom Knox] At our event here today, we've got hundreds of people who need help with their small repairs. When we look at transitioning into an electric vehicle future, it's important to remember, it's not there for everyone yet.
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The older the vehicle, the higher the emissions are going to be. So we've offered them $850 in repairs, which typically fixes the vehicle.
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[Tom Knox] We're also going to educate them on the fact that we can help them replace their older vehicle with a used electric vehicle.
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[Jamie Hall] We need to figure out how to do this in a way that provides benefits for everyone and doesn't leave anyone behind.
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Right now for electric vehicles, they're so new that we don't have enough electric vehicle technicians out there yet.
I've always wanted to learn this. It's the future for me.
[Tom Knox] The only way to create those technicians are really passionate expert instructors.
When the opportunity arose to work with Valley CAN in order to develop this training, it was a no-brainer. One of my passions is helping students transition from education into the workforce.
The market is growing quickly. We need to really grow the pool of people who have the skills and knowledge to work on electric vehicles.
I feel like this class is going to be a solution to a big problem. The change is going to happen fast, and it's exciting that I'm getting my foot in the door to learn about that change.
There's this mentality out there that I've noticed where it's almost like people consider these to be UFOs. They're still vehicles. It's all stuff that's held together with nuts and bolts. It's just the technology that propels it down the road is different.
Having this class means a lot, you know. It gives me an edge in this growing industry. It's going to help myself and my family.
This is no longer car mechanics as we used to think of it. This is more a technology job. This new generation of electric vehicle technicians in 5 or 10 years, they've got enormous career opportunities. They are going to be the hands-on innovators that really make electric vehicles work for America.
There is an opportunity out there if you're willing to take it. And doors will open up if you're willing to take a chance. I want to be a part of that change.
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