SEMA CEO: Electrification Will Cost Aftermarket Jobs

by Chris Teague

Published: April 20th, 2023

sema ceo electrification will cost aftermarket jobs

The Specialty Equipment Marketing Association, or SEMA, represents thousands of aftermarket and automotive parts companies, giving it a unique level of sensitivity to changes in emissions, safety, and other vehicle regulations. Recent changes to EPA regulations could bring a seismic shift in the automotive market, making a significant portion of new vehicle sales electric early next decade. SEMA’s President recently shared the organization’s thoughts on the issue, which are predictably skeptical of the changes.

Mike Spagnola’s letter was posted on the SEMA site and said that the organization’s more than 7,000 members “have significant concerns regarding the impact of these proposed regulations on automotive small businesses.” He said the more than one million employees in the aftermarket industry are often overlooked in the push to electrify.

SEMA wants the government to be “technology neutral,” and Spagnola said the organization advocates “for the ability of consumers and the marketplace to choose what works best for them.” Though many companies are already working on aftermarket products for electric vehicles, it’s clear that SEMA views a widespread shift to EVs as a threat to its members.

“The specialty automotive aftermarket business has been built around the internal combustion engine,” Spagnola said. “It is also the same industry that has led the way in fuel innovations and conversions of old vehicles into new and cleaner technologies. Yet it is clear from the Biden administration's actions and words that electrification is their technology of choice.”

[Image: 6th Gear Advertising via Shutterstock]

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Chris Teague

Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.

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3 of 37 comments

Vulpine on Apr 21, 2023

Kind of hard to be "Technology neutral" when you're trying to eliminate exhaust emissions from all vehicles. The push is for technologies that prevent emissions, which most importantly means not burning hydrocarbons for energy. Now, if you can burn straight hydrogen and NOT derive it from hydrocarbons, then I see no problem with SEMA keeping on as it does. But until that happens, fuel cells and batteries appear to be the way to go.

2 Reply
- Jeff S on Apr 21, 2023
  
  Vulpine--Throughout history there have been those who have predicted doom and gloom for the future whether it be when the first horseless carriages came on the road then the Model T. Some municipalities required a person to walk ahead of the car and warn those on the street that a car was coming and there were those that said that once cars came that it would put carriage makers and blacksmiths out of business and that there would be massive unemployment. After cars became more common many municipalities changed there views on cars and banned horses from streets because of the waste left by them on the streets, cars were cleaner than horses. Now we have another transitional period where doom and gloom is predicted because EVs are going to grow in numbers. EVs have improved and will continue to improve. Maybe cleaner fuels will be developed to keep ICE vehicles on the road longer but then maybe not. Fuel prices over the long run will continue to rise because of limited refinery capacity and more exporting of refined products from oil to other countries at a higher price thus higher profits. The last major oil refinery built in the US was in the mid-70s and that is for various reasons like ever increasing environmental regulations, longer permitting processes, people not wanting a refinery in their own backyard, and the oil companies restricting supply of oil and its products to maximize profits. We could debate each one of these but this is the reality and I doubt a debate would change anything. Additionally the easy to find and drill oil for the most part is gone and much of the new oil finds are harder to get to and more expensive to drill. Oil is a fossil fuel and it is harmful to the environment in the long run.
  
  1
David S. on May 01, 2023

It is a proven fact that throughout the entire life-cycle (cradle to grave) of an electric vehicle, they are much more harmful to the environment than an ICE. From the mining of the minerals to create the toxic batteries to the electricity generated to recharge them. Go beat the "harmful to the environment in the long run" drum somewhere else!

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