In 2024, the ranking of the world’s largest car brands was topped by Toyota with a market share of around **** percent. The Toyota brand is owned by Japan's Toyota Motor Corporation, the world's largest motor vehicle manufacturer. New trends in the auto industry In light of growing environmental awareness and increasing efforts to connect vehicles, automotive manufacturers are faced with a variety of new challenges. Market trends such as the shift to lighter materials, as well as the trend towards electric and autonomous vehicles are set to revolutionize the industry. Palo Alto-based Tesla Motors is currently among those at the vanguard of the trend towards electrification, along with the Chinese car manufacturer BYD. Tesla delivered nearly **** million vehicles in 2024, meaning that Volkswagen Group's sales tally is over **** times as much. The state of the global auto industry Car sales worldwide have dipped between 2019 and 2020 as a result of the economic downturn generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. 2021 sales recovered, despite remaining below 2019 levels, but supply chain shortages led to a slow recovery of sales in 2022. By the end of 2023, the global car sales volume had grown over pre-pandemic levels. China was the largest automobile market based on new passenger car registrations, recording close to **** million units sold. It was followed by the United States and Europe. China was also the leading passenger car producing country in 2023.

General Motors was the market leader in terms of U.S. light vehicle sales in 2024. Between January and December 2024, consumers in the United States bought around *** million GM vehicles, making General Motors the producer of approximately **** percent of the automobiles sold in the U.S. during that time.  Rebounding after a pandemic-related dip U.S. light-vehicle sales are stalling: the U.S. automotive industry sold roughly ***** million light vehicles between January and December 2024. This compares to about **** million units one year before and close to ** million vehicles in 2019. The trend is slightly different for America’s most popular manufacturer. GM’s global light vehicle sales declined in 2024, compared with the figures reported for the same twelve months in 2023. The U.S. automotive industry had several good years between 2015 and 2018, when consumers purchased more than ** million light vehicles annually for an unprecedented four years in a row. This stellar spell came to an end in 2019. Slowing economies and the COVID-19 pandemic had a strong negative effect on vehicle production and consumption. The U.S. auto market had high hopes for a V-shaped recovery in 2021 and 2022, but the reality was different. Light vehicle sales in North America dropped to **** million in 2022, after encouraging sales in 2021. The regional market was growing in 2024, but had yet to reach pre-pandemic levels. A competitive market The automobile market in the United States is a competitive space, with Toyota Motor trailing General Motors in the ranking. Chevrolet, a division of General Motors, recorded the second-best initial quality in the U.S. as of May 2024. It was preceded by Ram. Lexus, a subsidiary of Toyota, ranked eighth in this quality ranking but sixth in overall U.S. consumer satisfaction in 2024, with an index score ***** points above its main luxury car competitor, BMW. General Motors brands were at a similar position in the ranking, with the automaker's Cadillac brand earning the same index score as Lexus.

At about **** percent, General Motors (GM) held a significant portion of the U.S. market in 2024. However, over the course of the last two decades, GM has lost a considerable amount of market share, which stood at about ** percent some 19 years ago. The company General Motors is a multinational company headquartered in Detroit and is ranked among the leading automobile manufacturers worldwide based on revenue. GM has had some variability in the number of cars sold worldwide, with a decline in recent years, especially after selling the Opel and Vauxhall brands to PSA. However, GM's financial statements indicate that there has been a recent increase in income globally, with 2024 having the highest sales revenue. The company's revenue had started to drop significantly in 2019, but by 2023, the company had recovered from the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain shortages. GM includes many brands such as Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, and several other companies. The global automotive industry The global automotive industry is facing new challenges with the advent of smart technology. The recent decade has seen the greatest production volume of cars and commercial vehicles around the world, but the COVID-19 pandemic and global automotive chip shortage have led to production halts and to a steep decrease in the global automotive output. By 2024, the industry had started to recover from these challenges.

Global automobile market was valued at USD 23518.73 Billion in 2024 and is predicted to reach USD 34217.73 Billion by 2034, with a CAGR of 3.6% between 2025 and 2034.

Crossovers are Americans’ favorite type of passenger vehicle. This category accounts for over ** percent of automobile sales in the United States as of June 2022. The most popular models include Honda’s CR-V, Nissan’s Rogue, and Toyota’s RAV4. In the first quarter of 2022, U.S. auto buyers bought just under ******* units of Toyota’s RAV4 model, making it the best-selling vehicle in this category. Toyota is the market leader   The RAV4 was one of the very first specimens of its kind, as production of this model began in 1994. Toyota was the second most valuable automotive manufacturer worldwide in 2022, with a brand value of just over **** billion dollars. It followed Tesla, which was first in the ranking with a gap of over ** billion dollars compared to the runner-up. Toyota’s net revenue rose to **** trillion Japanese yen in 2022 (around *** billion U.S. dollars as of March 2022 exchange rates), a visible growth of over ** percent compared to 2021, despite the manufacturer being impacted by the global automotive chip shortage.  Crossovers benefit from the shift away from sedans   Crossover SUVs (sport utility vehicles) combine the fuel efficiency levels of compact and midsized cars and the higher seating positions of light trucks. They gained in popularity when fuel prices were low and, consequently, automakers increased production volumes and model additions of this vehicle type. Between 2014 and 2021, U.S. car sales fell from over *** million to around **** million units. Concurrently, light truck sales increased from *** million units in 2014 to close to **** million units in 2021. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on vehicle demand led to a *** percent drop in light truck sales in 2020. This drop in vehicle sales impacted countries across the globe. In 2020, Germany recorded a loss of over ******* sales of SUVs compared to 2019, whereas China’s new SUV registrations remained stable between the two years.

In 2023, Ford’s U.S. market share was around 13 percent, trailing General Motors and Toyota Motor. As the two largest U.S. manufacturers, Ford and GM are relentless competitors in the global automobile industry.

In 2024, General Motors sold six million vehicles. This compares to around 6.2 million units in 2023, representing a decline of around 3.04 percent year-over-year. Turbulent past years still impact GM GM’s brands include Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, and Cadillac, the first two of which were ranked within the top-eleven automobile manufacturers based on U.S. vehicle sales in the fourth quarter of 2023. Figures revealed a significant industry-wide stagnation two years earlier, in 2021, with industry sales increasing by under two percent compared to 2020. Sales had started to rebound in the fourth quarter of 2020, but the global chip shortage further impacted the sector in 2021, shrinking vehicle production and inventory. These automotive supply chain issues were exacerbated in 2022, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In 2023, General Motors had to contend with the United Auto Workers strike. This strike led to an estimated 4.35 billion U.S. dollars in losses for the Detroit Three manufacturers (General Motors, Stellantis, and Ford), and contributed to shaping GM's year. GM accelerates future-proof innovations With Tesla infamously driving innovation in the field of electric vehicles (EV), General Motors, along with other incumbent car manufacturers, are set to join the fiercely competitive U.S. electric vehicle industry. In 2024, Tesla sold around 633,800 battery-electric vehicle units in the U.S. market. General Motors, however, plans to invest around 20 billion U.S. dollars in its EV product portfolio, including SUVs and pickups, by 2025. As of 2024, General Motors Company is also exploring artificial intelligence technology. To that end, GM partnered with Google in August 2023.

In 2024, Ford remained the leading car brand in the United States based on vehicle sales, delivering about *** million units to U.S. customers. The United States is the largest market for Ford: wholesales to U.S. dealerships reached over *** million vehicles in 2023. Car sales among major manufacturers The top three U.S. car brands are assembled and distributed by the leading manufacturers in the U.S. market: Ford Motor Company, Toyota Motor Corporation, and General Motors (GM). As of the fourth quarter of 2024, GM's largest segment of sales was attributable to its Chevrolet-badged vehicles. Within the Ford Motor Corporation, the Ford division accounted for the largest number of vehicle sales. And finally, Toyota’s largest distribution of this sales volume was attributable to the Toyota brand vehicles. Automotive industry overview Production and sales volumes are declining among the key automotive brands in the United States, as a result of the accelerated automotive semiconductor shortage, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the fact that the automotive manufacturing and sales market is highly competitive both within the U.S. and globally. Electric vehicles emerged as the leading trend in Europe since 2020 and the U.S. electric vehicle industry has been catching up. Furthermore, it is forecast that autonomous vehicles will disrupt the U.S. market between 2020 and 2030.

In 2024, the Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW) shipped over 2.45 million autos worldwide. BMW's major brands include BMW (automobiles and motorcycles), MINI, and Rolls Royce. BMW in the international market Headquartered in Munich, the German brand consistently ranked among the leading automotive manufacturers. As of June 2024, the BMW marque was the third most valuable automotive brand, right above its main competitor, Mercedes-Benz. BMW reports factories across the globe, including in the United Kingdom, the United States, Mexico, and China. The latter is becoming BMW's most important market: just under 30 percent of vehicle sales in 2024 were recorded in China. BMW also ranked second among the best-perceived car brands in the United States. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic The luxury car market that BMW is a part of had been steadily increasing until 2019, reaching around 579 billion euros in 2024. This year-over-year drop in the market is also visible in BMW’s worldwide shipments, which declined by four percent year-over-year in 2024. BMW’s 2024 revenue, some 142.4 billion euros, reflected the impact of this change in the luxury market. BMW was the second leading luxury car brand in the U.S. in 2023, followed closely by Lexus, one of its main competitors in the sector.

At around 948,000 unit sales, light trucks remained the largest U.S. auto market segment in September 2024, down from around 1.2 unit sales in October 2024 and decreasing by approximately 11.2 percent year-on-year. Global chip shortage affects supply The second quarter of 2020 saw a significant drop in automotive sales volume compared to the year before. Most of the disruption was seen in May, before restrictions to curtail the coronavirus pandemic were lifted. Sales showed signs of recovery in the following months, before dropping again in 2021. The industry's inventory-to-sales ratio nosedived in May 2020, and has not fully recovered since. Supply issues were not felt as strongly across the automotive sector, while car demand was low due to national lockdowns brought on by the pandemic. However, as consumers' purchasing intentions picked up, vehicle stocks could not meet the new demand due to chip shortages, which led to production halts and cuts. U.S. vehicle sales gain momentum thanks to light truck sales As the year 2020 came to an end, motor vehicle sales in the United States finished on a high note. Following the Covid-19 disruption, the U.S. auto sector began to recover in the third quarter. However, the semiconductor shortage and global inflation further impacted sales in 2021 and 2022. In contrast, 2023 was an encouraging year. U.S. motor vehicle sales grew to over 15.5 million that year, which was the highest it had been since the onset of the pandemic. This jump in sales was partly due to light truck retail sales, which exceeded their pre-pandemic level in 2023.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, over ******* battery-electric vehicles were sold in the United States. This was a year-over-year increase of around **** percent compared to the sales recorded in the fourth quarter of 2023. The fourth quarter of 2024 also recorded a hike in sales compared to the third quarter of that same year, making it the best quarter for BEV sales in the country across the past two years. Global EV Race - Where does the U.S. stand? Over the last few years, consumers have perceived Electric Vehicles (EVs) as a far more appealing option due to their increased range, battery life, variety of models, and affordability. Therefore, the EV market has grown fast in recent years and is forecast to expand to *** trillion U.S. dollars in 2029. Though the global demand for electric cars has been escalating, American sales lag behind Europe and the Asia-Pacific regions. In 2023, Chinese customers bought around *** million plug-in EVs, considerably more than American customers' purchases,around *** million that year. China is the leader of the global EV race, with a substantial ** percent growth in sales year-on-year in 2023. However, given the market share of electric vehicles in the global automotive industry, this still can be anyone's race. Outlook of the U.S. market There is still a lack of interest in electric vehicles among American buyers compared to European and Asian consumers. In the first quarter of 2021, the share of the battery electric vehicle was **** percentage points more in Norway than in the U.S.. One of the main reasons is that American consumers still anticipate that EVs are more expensive than gasoline vehicles and diesel internal combustion engine cars (ICE). This perception is partially true in the U.S. since the battery production market is highly concentrated in Asia, where the companies have logistical advantages, leading automotive makers to offer better prices. On the other hand, high licensing fees for electric vehicles are another factor affecting the consumption behaviors of automobile purchasers. In many states, the licensing fees for electric cars are considerably higher than their ICE counterparts. EV licensing fees were around *** U.S. dollars compared to ** U.S. dollars for standard vehicles in Georgia in 2021. Together, these factors significantly impact the individual perception of electric cars in the United States.

In 2023, some 94 million motor vehicles were produced worldwide. This figure translates into an increase of around 10 percent compared with the previous year. China, Japan, and Germany were among the largest producers of cars and commercial vehicles.

China leads production

China is ranked as the largest passenger car manufacturer in the world, having produced more than 26 million cars in 2023, and accounting for almost one third of the world’s passenger vehicle production. Over the past decades, China has emerged as one of the main growth markets for players in the global automobile industry.

American manufacturers in China

One of China’s largest car manufacturing companies is the joint venture between General Motors and SAIC Motor Corporation Limited, known as Shanghai General Motors Company Ltd or simply Shanghai GM. GM produces and sells passenger vehicles under the Chevrolet and Cadillac brands, among others. Aside from manufacturing cars, the company also produces engines and transmission systems. Shanghai GM’s production amounted to a little over 1.3 million units in 2021.

Sales of used light vehicles in the United States came to around **** million units in 2024. In the same period, approximately **** million new light trucks and automobiles were sold here. Declining availability of vehicles In the fourth quarter of 2024, about ***** million vehicles were in operation in the United States, an increase of around *** percent year-over-year. The rising demand for vehicles paired with an overall price inflation lead to a rise in new vehicle prices. In contrast, used vehicle prices slightly decreased. E-commerce: a solution for the bumpy road ahead? Financial reports have revealed how the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic has triggered a shift in vehicle-buying behavior. With many consumer goods and services now bought online due to COVID-19, the automobile industry has also started to digitally integrate its services online to reach consumers with a preference for contactless test driving amid the global crisis. Several dealers and automobile companies had already begun to tap into online car sales before the pandemic, some of them being Carvana and Tesla.

In 2024, the auto industry in the United States sold approximately 15.9 million light vehicle units. This figure includes retail sales of about three million passenger cars and just under 12.9 million light trucks. Lower fuel consumption There are many kinds of light vehicles available in the United States. Light-duty vehicles are popular for their utility and improved fuel economy, making them an ideal choice for savvy consumers. As of Model Year 2023, the light vehicle manufacturer with the best overall miles per gallon was Kia, with one gallon of gas allowing for 30.4 miles on the road. Higher brand satisfaction When asked about light vehicle satisfaction, consumers in the United States were most satisfied with Toyota, Subaru, Tesla, and Mercedes-Benz models. Another survey conducted in 2018 and quizzing respondents on their stance regarding the leading car brands indicated that Lexus was among the most dependable brands based on the number of problems reported per 100 vehicles.

How many Tesla vehicles were delivered in 2025? Tesla's vehicle deliveries in the first quarter of 2025 amounted to around 336,700 units. Quarterly deliveries decreased by around 32.1 percent during the first quarter of 2025, compared with the fourth quarter of 2024. Between October and December 2024, deliveries crossed the 495,500 unit threshold, a new record for the brand. World's most valuable brand As of March 2025, Tesla was the most valuable brand within the global automotive sector. The brand was over double the brand value of Toyota, which was second in the ranking. April 2025 also recorded Tesla among the ten leading companies in the S&P 500 Index based on market capitalization, with a market cap around 798.1 billion U.S. dollars. Tesla enters the mainstream segment The initial rise in Tesla's market value was largely due to the release of its top-selling Model 3. The Model 3 was Tesla’s successful attempt to tap into the mainstream segment. By 2024, this Model consistently ranked among the world’s best-selling all-electric vehicle models, along with the bestseller Model Y. The Model 3 faces tough competition from other Tesla models, including the Model Y and the refreshed Model S Plaid.

This graph shows the monthly United Kingdom (UK) market share values for Ford between December 2016 and December 2020. Ford held a market share of around 8.6 percent as of December 2020. The company's market share had a range between 7 and 15 percent in the period of consideration, meaning it consistently controlled a high portion of the UK car market. Ford maintained its position as one of the leading car brands in the UK.

In 2023, about 90 percent of all cars sold in Norway were electric cars, including battery-electric vehicles (BEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV). This share represents a sharp increase compared to the pre-pandemic EV sales share, which stood at 53.4 percent in 2019. Renewables powering Norway's cars Not only does Norway outperform other countries in terms of electric vehicles as a share of car sales, but also almost all of Norway’s domestic electricity comes from hydropower. For Norway, incentives in favor of green travel, such as toll-free travel, electric roads, and priority parking for electric vehicles, date back several years. Car brands must navigate a competitive industry in the country when it comes to the penetration rate of their EV models. Cuts for emissions With future restrictions penalizing the sale of new cars running only on petrol or diesel, the race is on worldwide for EV manufacturers to lower the greenhouse gas emissions their models release into the atmosphere. Thus, it comes as no surprise that the size of the global market for electric vehicles is tipped to grow substantially over the coming years. Worldwide plug-in electric vehicle sales reached around 13.7 million units in 2023.  

Being one of the largest automotive sectors, India had over 326 million registered vehicles as of financial year 2020. It was the largest producer of two-wheelers across the globe in 2023. The market within the country was also dominated by this segment. In financial year 2024, over 17.97 million units of two-wheelers were sold domestically across the south Asian country. A decline in the sales volume of two-wheelers has been witnessed between 2020 and 2022. Hero MotoCorpHero MotoCorp had the maximum share in the two-wheeler segment in India. The company was the worldwide leader in two-wheeler manufacturing. The company has taken up the initiative of manufacturing electric scooters and bikes. To reduce the high battery costs that create a significant cost difference between the petrol and the battery variants, the Indian government has introduced the National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) in 2022 to inventivize batery manufacturing. Two-wheeler market outlookThe Indian government has set a target to electrify a major proportion of the two-wheelers within the nation. However, the manufacturers have encouraged the government to adopt more ‘realistic’ expectations, as the former’s scheme would mean the electrification of over two million vehicles. With the two-wheeler industry estimated to grow at over nine percent in the next few years, more investments in the clean energy sector could pave a way for the domestic market.

In the financial year 2025, Tata Motors dominated the domestic commercial vehicle market across India with a share of around ***percent. In 2024, the company had an overall revenue of around 4.4 trillion Indian rupees. Commercial vehicle sales had been on an inline across the south Asian country for a few years. From mid-2019, however, the automotive industry’s slowdown has affected the sales and production alike. BS VI standardsThe Bharat stage emission standards (BSES) are emission standards that the Indian government regulates to keep the output of air pollutants from combustion and spark ignition engines in check. The Central Pollution Control Board determines the limits and time of implementation of these standards. From April 2020, BS VI norms were estimated to be implemented across the country, as a replacement to the existing BS III standards that were implemented in October 2010. The emission limits for light and heavy commercial vehicles were estimated to be 0.63 and 1.5 grams per kilometer respectively. New modelsCommercial vehicle manufacturers revealed new models complying with the BS VI standards to reinstate a growth in sales volumes. Tata Motors, the leading manufacturer, announced a product offensive for 2020. Similarly, Volvo Eicher Commercial Vehicles also announced a ‘Smart Trucks’ initiative to gain a competitive edge. The emission standards have affected the commercial vehicles market significantly. Manufacturers not only aimed for cleaner vehicles but redesigned their vehicles and vamped up the entire product line, making the outlook for the industry presumably very positive.

In 2022, around **** million motor vehicles were sold in the United Kingdom, down from its peak at around *** million units in 2016. This figure represents a decrease of *** percent year-on-year. Sales recovery does not match 2019 levels In 2022, the UK overtook France as the second-largest car market in Europe, a position it had lost since 2019. New passenger car registrations had grown in the country in 2023, up to the highest volume recorded since their dramatic drop in 2020. However, amid Brexit, the automotive semiconductor shortage, raw material price inflation, and an overall cost of living crisis, the UK's automotive industry has faced various challenges and has yet to reach its pre-COVID-19 pandemic level. The impact of inflation on car purchases The United Kingdom recorded its highest inflation rate since the 1990s in 2022, a situation which marginally improved in 2023. New cars were particularly impacted by the inflation, with their consumer price index being at its highest in the past 15 years in 2023. Despite the inflating prices, car purchasing intentions remained relatively stable based on surveys ending in September 2023 and September 2024, with around **** of UK residents reporting their intention of buying a car in the 12 months following the survey. This is, however, a positive development compared to purchase intentions reported in that same survey ending in September 2022.