One thing is clear in a post-pandemic landscape: people want to lead conscious, meaningful lives.
Driven by the need to preserve our ecosystems for as long as possible, the world is accelerating a global transition from natural fuels to clean energy. Many countries have made the ambitious promise to hit net-zero emissions targets by 2050, and Southeast Asia is no exception.
Last year, Hong Kong committed to reducing the country’s carbon emissions by 50% before 2035. Meanwhile, Malaysia plans to cut greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions intensity relative to GDP by 45% by 2030.
Singapore is also investing heavily in building sustainable infrastructure with low-carbon technologies. In order to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the city introduced a carbon tax to its Carbon Pricing Act in 2019. The city-state is also particularly keen on revamping its transport system, pledging to have a fully-electric bus fleet by 2025 and reducing land transport emissions from the 2016 peak by 80% by 2050.
Consumer attitudes are also evolving in tandem with the global commitment to a greener economy and climate. From spending more money for sustainable products to owning electric vehicles (EVs), we’re choosing to build a more conscious and connected world than ever before.
Emerging technologies will create fresh jobs that require new sets of skills. To close the talent and skills gaps, governments in Asian countries are developing new training programmes to expand the EV talent pool. And the demand for specialists in the automotive field will only grow as countries integrate EVs into their urban landscapes.
Read on to find out how the automotive industry is driving growth across the region and what jobs are available if you want to pursue a career in electric vehicles.
EV market focus points across asia
Asia is picking up pace in EV adoption and innovation, and Southeast Asia in particular is growing its electric vehicle market and manufacturing hub. However, the region still faces challenges such as prohibitive costs and limited access to EV infrastructure.
Malaysia
According to automotive manufacturers in Malaysia, in order to sustain an EV ecosystem, there is a need for a reliable battery supply chain and a wider network of EV charging infrastructure. Power supplier Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) will invest RM90mil to increase the number of charging points for EVs on expressways.
The high cost of owning an EV is currently Malaysia's biggest barrier to EV adoption. However, as more manufacturers like Volvo and Proton invest in EV manufacturing and assembly, the cost of affording one will become lower for the average Malaysian in the future.
Hong Kong SAR
In 2021, EVs accounted for 1 in 4 new cars sold, marking a significant jump from 1 in 8 new cars sold in 2020. As Hong Kong speeds towards a more sustainable future, the city has decreased its road pollution by up to 40% over the last decade.
Despite its late entry into the industry, the city has started its transformation plans to build 70,000 charging ports through the Clean Air Plan.
Singapore
In Singapore, local authorities are swiftly laying the groundwork for greater consumer adoption of EVs, from introducing tax incentives for EV owners to installing at least 3 EV charging points at 2,000 housing and development buildings (HDB).
Singapore is no stranger to manufacturing and recycling EV parts. For the country’s bus operations, Singapore-based electronic waste recycler TES inked an agreement with Volvo for electronic scrap and electric vehicle (EV) battery waste management.
what type of EV jobs are there for you?
Given that Asia’s EV industry is still young, job opportunities are steadily growing in the EV market. Countries are increasingly focusing on growing their local talent pool and training the future workforce to take on EV jobs.
In many Asian markets, the automotive value chain is crucial for creating new EV jobs and driving economic competitiveness. As a result, many countries are looking into integrating existing capabilities from adjacent sectors like research and development and manufacturing.
EV jobs largely mirror traditional roles found in manufacturing and logistics industries, from data engineers to sales executives. Besides the need to hire and train IT talent, automotive companies require talent with specialised industrial knowledge unique to EV management, whether that’s selling charging services or knowing how to maintain vehicles.
If you’re looking for a career in the EV industry, here are the job opportunities you can find in the electric vehicle sector.
6 in-demand EV jobs
1. data scientists and analysts
- manage and analyse data; help developers improve routing systems; and help marketers create more personalised engagement.
2. developers
- fix bugs and consistently maintain systems; update software so that users feel confident about product safety and benefit from the convenience of owning an EV.
3. city planners
- design city infrastructure to drive greater consumer demand and consumer uptake; identify opportunities for optimising transport networks and integrating EV grids.
4. legal
- review and negotiate commercial and supply chain contracts; ensuring ethics and data compliance according to local commercial laws and regulations.
5. sales professionals
- build and maintain relationships; operate as a single point of contact for customers; troubleshoot customer issues; close and deliver on EV orders.
6. marketing professionals
- strengthen the brand across different platforms from print to digital; create engaging and compelling content to generate brand value; support search engine optimisation and marketing (SEO/SEM); conduct qualitative research on consumer attitudes to develop highly-targeted marketing strategies.
looking to branch into an EV career?
The EV industry offers many exciting and meaningful job opportunities for those who wish to make the world a more sustainable place to live in.
If you’re a job seeker looking for promising career growth opportunities, check out our job listings. Our talented team of recruitment specialists could connect you with employers with great company culture from various industries. Alternatively, you can give contract jobs a try to find your true calling.
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