In 2024, the ranking of the world’s largest car brands was topped by Toyota with a market share of around 10.7 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 1.79 million vehicles in 2024, meaning that Volkswagen Group's sales tally is over five 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 25.8 million units sold. It was followed by the United States and Europe. China was also the leading passenger car producing country in 2023.