Here’s a concise list of major steps in the life cycle of a gasoline/diesel light-duty vehicle, from raw material extraction to the end of life, along with the ancillary jobs and rough estimates of worker involvement in the U.S.:
1. Raw Material Extraction
- Mining & Drilling: Extracting metals (iron, aluminum, copper), petroleum for plastics, and lithium for batteries.
- Jobs: Miners, petroleum engineers, heavy equipment operators, geologists.
- Workers: ~150,000 (metals), ~150,000 (oil & gas extraction)
- Administrative: Support roles (logistics, finance, safety, etc.).
- Workers: ~50,000
2. Raw Material Processing
- Smelting & Refining: Processing raw metals into usable forms (steel, aluminum).
- Jobs: Metallurgists, machine operators, chemical engineers.
- Workers: ~110,000 (steel production), ~60,000 (aluminum)
- Petrochemical Processing: Refining crude oil into plastics, rubber, and fuel.
- Jobs: Refinery workers, chemical engineers, quality control.
- Workers: ~80,000
3. Parts Manufacturing
- Metal Parts Manufacturing: Producing body panels, engine parts, frames.
- Jobs: CNC operators, welders, machinists, industrial engineers.
- Workers: ~170,000
- Plastics & Rubber: Creating plastic components, fuel lines, and tires.
- Jobs: Machine operators, material scientists.
- Workers: ~80,000
- Electronics & Batteries: Building the electrical components and batteries.
- Jobs: Assembly line workers, technicians, electronics engineers.
- Workers: ~50,000
4. Vehicle Assembly
- Final Vehicle Assembly: Combining parts into the complete vehicle.
- Jobs: Assembly line workers, robotics technicians, quality inspectors.
- Workers: ~200,000 (including supervisors)
5. Sales & Distribution
- Dealerships & Logistics: Sales of the vehicle, transport of parts and vehicles.
- Jobs: Salespeople, truck drivers, warehouse workers.
- Workers: ~150,000 (dealerships), ~500,000 (logistics)
6. Fueling & Maintenance
- Fueling Stations: Providing gasoline/diesel fuel.
- Jobs: Gas station attendants, managers, tanker drivers.
- Workers: ~120,000
- Maintenance & Repairs: Mechanics, body shops, and tire services.
- Jobs: Mechanics, service advisors, parts suppliers.
- Workers: ~800,000
7. End of Life (Vehicle Recycling)
- Vehicle Recycling: Dismantling, recycling metals, plastics, and batteries.
- Jobs: Scrap yard workers, recycling technicians.
- Workers: ~40,000
8. Administrative & Management
- Across All Stages: Includes HR, marketing, finance, management roles.
- Workers: ~200,000 (estimated across all sectors)