FRM 2025: Sector Report Automotive Industry KPMG in Germany
EVs typically use 2-3 times more semiconductor content than internal combustion engine models, and in powertrain-specific components, that multiplier is possibly higher. Demand is rising, especially for power electronics, battery management systems, and more energy-efficient chips. Also, MotionSafe protects the auto industry by securing vehicle data, supporting supply chains, and ensuring a safe transition to connected mobility. South African startup Motomatix applies AI and custom software solutions to strengthen supply chain resilience in the automotive repair sector.
This EV Just Set an Efficiency Record
For example, Toyota plans a commercial rollout by 2027 to bring solid-state battery EVs into mass production. Moreover, automakers reduce tailpipe emissions, cities improve air quality, and governments reduce fossil fuel dependence. For instance, India’s eBus Sewa scheme deploys 10K electric buses to curb urban pollution. Government incentives, environmental imperatives, technological advances, and shifting consumer preferences drive this expansion. The EU enforces a 2035 zero-emission mandate, and the US Inflation Reduction Act channels subsidies into domestic EV production and attracts international manufacturers.
General Intelligence builds Self-Driving Intelligence Software
Motoreto strengthens supply chain resilience in the auto industry and drives nearshoring by aligning distribution, procurement, and sales with regional market needs. The startup enables dealerships, fleet managers, and manufacturers to manage inventory strategically. It also supports this process by integrating buybacks, residual value calculations, and automated stock analysis. The automotive industry is one of the most severely affected by supply chain disruptions.
Automotive Events Worldwide
The global automotive industry, responsible for 10% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions, faces ongoing pressure to overhaul its practices. However, the landscape is proving difficult to steady with an intricate maze of regulations that differ by country or region and lack a unified benchmarking process for sustainability. The SAE, originally the Society of Automotive Engineers, has identified six levels of automation on the path to completely autonomous vehicles.
Waymo’s Autonomous Cars: A Look at the Future of Transportation in Los Angeles
Transparency rules such as the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive and the US Uyghur Forced Labor Act add pressure for stricter supplier oversight. This transition offers shorter lead times, reduced tariff exposure, and a stronger crisis response. It re-engineers proven EV technology and applies it to Land Rover Defenders, Range Rover Classics, and Series models from 1949 to 2016. It does so to preserve their heritage design and deliver zero-emission performance.
What are the future predictions for automotive industry innovations?
However, used electric powertrain vehicles are still few and far between, with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, in the UK, suggesting EVs make up 2.7% of the total used car market. These solutions decrease fleet wait times and cut pollution from petrol or diesel vehicles. Hungarian startup V2ROADS offers a range of products and services tailored to the V2X ecosystem. They provide V2X applications, services, and communication stacks specifically designed for on-board units (OBUs) and road-side units (RSUs). Further, its V2X-cloud system implementation guarantees uninterrupted connectivity between vehicles and infrastructure. Finally, its V2AP (V2X Integration Platform) is a server-side software to amplify V2X services to elevate road safety and efficiency.
How is the rise of shared mobility changing the automotive industry?
Automakers are responding by integrating carbon-neutral initiatives across their value chains. This includes upstream supply chains and downstream life cycle phases like recycling. Moreover, Asia-Pacific is the fastest-growing region, with a projected CAGR of 14.8%. This is fueled by increased vehicle production and sales in China, Japan, and South Korea. The AV market is projected to reach USD 1.73 trillion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 31.85% from 2025 to 2033.
- It enables secure data sharing for connected and shared mobility solutions, including ride-hailing, urban transportation, and delivery services.
- These systems can detect objects, evaluate road environments, and make real-time decisions to further enhance safety and comfort.
- They also emphasize that regulatory support and infrastructure readiness are essential for large-scale deployment.
- Additionally, looking at supply chains, AI and machine learning are driving the rise of autonomous logistics systems that can self-optimise routing, scheduling, and inventory management.
- From supply chain optimization and manufacturing to personalized driving experiences and smart routing, advanced AI systems and real-time data analysis enable it all.
- EVs typically use 2-3 times more semiconductor content than internal combustion engine models, and in powertrain-specific components, that multiplier is possibly higher.
- EVs drive the shift to greener mobility and it is aided by advancements in semiconductors for smarter and efficient vehicles.
It uses AI-powered damage recognition, estimation, and work distribution to streamline repair processes. Also, its platform manages claims and mechanical breakdowns across vehicle models from manufacturers. Digital replicas and simulations allow manufacturers to test efficiency improvements before implementation. For example, BMW’s San Luis Potosí facility applies digital replicas to reconfigure layouts and minimize waste.
Best of 2025 How Generative AI Is Transforming Industry
The US-based startup Udelv provides autonomous vehicles for last-mile deliveries. It combines advanced AI algorithms and hyper-speed teleoperations for human-assisted guidance in unique situations. The vans deliver groceries from nearby stores and send out a push notification when the order arrives.
According to a study completed by INRIX Transportation, Honolulu, New Orleans, and Nashville are the three US cities that stand to gain the most from micromobility vehicles. Tesla reportedly rewrote the software it uses in its vehicles so they could run on a different type of chip. However, the demand for parts is also being diminished by the increasing quality of newly manufactured vehicle parts. In addition, the ecommerce automotive aftermarket market is worth an estimated $85.28 billion. The company already has 50 Level 4 autonomous trucks operating in the Southwestern United States. One of the most promising companies in the autonomous trucking ecosystem is TuSimple.
What are the predicted future trends in the automotive industry regarding autonomous driving?
North America is commanding a 43% share as new-age OEMs focus on BEVs and software-driven architectures. Major technology providers are also solidifying their roles in key areas such as ADAS, electrical/electronic (E/E) architectures, and cloud computing solutions. This will further usher the industry into a new era of smarter, more connected, and more efficient vehicles. The startup’s platform combines augmented reality (AR), smart camera, and surround-view monitoring to illuminate the route on turns, curves, slopes as well as complex junctions.
The platform allows autonomous vehicles to discover AVs, service providers, or clients around them. The vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication is either on-blockchain, with smart contracts or off-blockchain using DAV’s protocols. The startup develops protocols for drone charging networks, drone flight planning, and open mobility. Advanced manufacturing technologies, such as megacasting and giga-stamping, are playing a pivotal role in enabling the industry’s transformation. Megacasting, which involves producing large aluminium castings to replace multiple smaller components in vehicle structures, is gaining momentum in the automotive industry. Shared mobility reduces individual car ownership, especially in urban areas, impacting vehicle sales volumes but increasing demand for fleet vehicles and mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) platforms.
For this, it uses advanced system-on-chips (SoCs) that integrate mixed-signal analog and digital signal processing (DSP) algorithms. The European Union’s Vehicle General Safety Regulation (GSR2), effective July 2024, mandates several ADAS features in new vehicles. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) plans to require automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems in all new light-duty vehicles by 2026. This includes driver monitoring systems, adaptive cruise control, and collision avoidance systems. Integrating vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication further improves connectivity and safety. German startup Qumasoft offers a software-driven cybersecurity management solution for vehicles and components.
Launch Mobility streamlines Shared Mobility
At the same time, governments and companies view subscriptions as a pathway to scale EV adoption without heavy upfront investments. Bosch demonstrates this through 77 GHz radar modules integrated into adaptive cruise control and collision avoidance systems. LiDAR enables high-resolution 3D mapping by emitting laser pulses to measure distances.
The ongoing global semiconductor shortage continues to cast a shadow over manufacturing progress, particularly for industries such as automotive and electronics. While efforts are underway from many different automakers to expand fabrication capacity, lead times for chip production remain long with little sign of a solution in the near future. However, regulatory hurdles and the complexity of navigating diverse driving environments remain significant barriers. On the bright side, partnerships between automakers and tech companies are fuelling innovation and accelerating development, bringing their vision of safer, smarter transportation closer to reality.
- In 2026, the auto industry accelerates its transition from combustion-based production to electrified, software-driven, and sustainable mobility.
- The standard ranges from SAE Level 0 (no automation) to SAE Level 5 (full automation).
- Curious how electric vehicle trends like solar integration, AI-powered systems, and modular design are innovating mobility?
- Key automotive industry trends include a significant rise in electric vehicle production, a growing market for pre-owned vehicles, and an uptick in digital car sales.
- Usage-based insurance (UBI) models use driving behavior data to provide customized premiums and are gaining popularity.
- With increasing political uncertainty and a cooling economy, responding to the top three trends will be key to traversing a difficult year ahead.
Additionally, interest rates for used vehicle loans are higher than those for new cars. It is anticipated that used-vehicle sales will not return to pre-pandemic levels of around 40 million units per year until 2025, similar to new-vehicle sales. Connected cars are vehicles that use wireless means to connect to the Internet of Things. They offer a safe, comfortable, and convenient multimedia experience with on-demand features that allow users to browse the web while in their vehicle. They provide various features such as remote diagnostics, vehicle health reports, 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspots, turn-by-turn directions, and warnings of car health issues.
Chargerly develops Vehicle-to-Building Solutions
- It also manufactures direct current (DC) fast chargers with capacities of up to 240 kW.
- This could allow drivers to retain their jobs, but avoid the injuries and deaths that result from exhaustion.
- Software-defined vehicles (SDVs) convert the auto industry by shifting control from hardware to software.
- In this world where we are shifting to EVs, individuals usually prefer to shift to smaller vehicles which are much more affordable and environmentally friendly.
Indian startup SWYTCHD manages vehicle subscription services that focus on electric two-wheelers and cars. This enables an all-inclusive model that replaces ownership with monthly flexibility. Its RC ONE driverless vehicle combines proprietary software and hardware with automotive-grade components to achieve low-speed autonomous operation.
Connected vehicles are entering a software-defined era where 5G, AI, and V2X convert cars into real-time data nodes that communicate smoothly with infrastructure, other vehicles, and the cloud. Our new report spotlights 10 connected vehicle trends to watch in 2026 that promise safer, smarter mobility and fresh revenue streams for automakers. Curious how electric vehicle trends like solar integration, AI-powered systems, and modular design are innovating mobility? This report explores the top 10 electric vehicle trends shaping the industry in 2026. Discover how these shifts improve charging, safety, and sustainability and what they mean for your business.
Nearshoring is becoming increasingly prevalent, particularly in North America, where manufacturers are shifting operations closer to key markets to mitigate supply chain risks and reduce logistical costs. In the UK, auto production surpassed one million units in 2023, marking a significant recovery. However, with the cessation of certain models, there are concerns about a potential production dip in 2024. New EV launches slated for 2025 are expected to reinvigorate the market, underscoring the importance of product innovation in sustaining growth. Artificial Intelligence and Smart Factory technologies are no longer aspirational but integral to modern automotive manufacturing.
- As technology progresses, expect these trends to influence every facet of the automotive sector.
- Investors support companies with strong sustainability commitments, channeling funding toward greener production.
- By 2025, significant investments in fast-charging networks will be essential for EV adoption to reach mass-market penetration.
- Fuel-cell electric vehicles will emerge worldwide in 2025 due to their faster recharge, extended range, and zero emissions.
This rise in digital advertising spending is being steered by the growing usage of social media. Dealerships need to integrate strategic frameworks to capture potential buyers across different stages in the process with the use of social media marketing, click-to-call conversions, and messaging apps. The efficiency of electric power fused with the reliability of traditional engines has contributed to the rise of hybrid vehicles. Hybrid vehicles present the perfect compromise of lower emissions and enhanced fuel economy without the need for charging.
Bentley Supersports Vows to Be a Pure Driver’s Car
In addition, TuSimple has partnered with Navistar and UPS to test its software under supervised driving conditions. This could allow drivers to retain their jobs, but avoid the injuries and deaths that result from exhaustion. Additionally, Chevrolet, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, and Jaguar have all released more affordable EVs that have a range of anywhere from 200 miles to 250 miles. Right now, there are only about 73,215 public EV charging stations across the US. Lithium-ion battery prices have fallen by 89% over the last decade, reaching a price of $137/kWh in 2020.
- Hydrogen-powered vehicles produce only water vapor as a byproduct, making them a strong contender for sectors that are harder to electrify, such as long-haul trucking and commercial transportation.
- Autonomous driving demonstrates scalable deployment across passenger and freight use cases, and subscription models give consumers flexible access to vehicles.
- Instead, they get power from a fuel-cell stack that’s fed hydrogen and oxygen to create electricity through a chemical reaction.
- The Starkenn Brake Safe, a collision mitigation system features automatic emergency braking in critical scenarios.
- Brazil is leading the way by a large margin, followed by Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia and Chile, respectively.
- Finally, its V2AP (V2X Integration Platform) is a server-side software to amplify V2X services to elevate road safety and efficiency.
- Following these trends helps greater penetration in the emerging market, like the growing adoption of electric vehicles in China and India.
- Consumers research their preferred car on their mobile phones, looking for the best options, offers, and dealerships.
AI to Impact All of the Automotive Trends
Further, their drivers use out-of-the-box or white-labeled apps to manage reservations or remotely access vehicles. Factories equipped with IoT-enabled devices and machine learning capabilities are emerging as the backbone of next-generation automotive production. These facilities use data-driven insights to optimise processes, reduce energy consumption, and increase operational efficiency. This trend is reshaping how manufacturers think about scalability and flexibility, particularly as the demand for electric vehicles continues analytic value of VIN based history reports to grow, and will continue to make itself felt throughout 2025. EV technology is the catalyst for transformation—it’s forcing OEMs to rethink vehicle architecture, supply chains, and customer engagement. Battery improvements reduce costs and increase range, making EVs more accessible.
Top car brands are embracing VR as part of their dealership photography strategies to further enhance the customer experience. Due to these advancements, the global automotive IoT market is anticipated to reach USD 56 billion by 2026 at a CAGR of 19% during the period from 2021 to 2026. It also uses regenerative braking to capture and store energy in the car’s battery. The APH-01 incorporates flax fiber in its body shell, which reduces weight, increases impact resistance, and improves vibration damping. In addition to enhancing energy efficiency, regenerative braking systems reduce greenhouse gas emissions by recovering energy during braking to support global efforts to meet stricter emission norms.
Likewise, projects USD billion in annual software and services revenue by 2030 from connected vehicles. The startup strengthens autonomous driving by providing reliable and production-ready Level 4 vehicles that expand commercial mobility solutions. Semiconductors enhance safety by enabling faster decisions and reducing accident risks. They improve energy efficiency through wide-bandgap devices that extend EV range and minimize charging times. The semiconductors also enable infotainment, voice assistants, and AI-driven interfaces for a better user experience.
(c) 2025 Automotive Manufacturing Solutions
Improved range, faster charging times and enhanced performance are making EVs not just environmentally conscious choices, but compelling alternatives for everyday use. The global vehicle subscription market is projected to reach as high as USD 791.0 billion by 2032 at growth rates of up to 74.6% annually. This rapid expansion reflects how automakers and mobility providers are shifting from ownership models toward flexible, access-based mobility solutions. Sensor fusion drives the automotive industry’s shift to autonomy by integrating data from cameras, light detection and ranging (LiDAR), radar, and ultrasonic sensors into a unified perception system. Mercedes-Benz’s Drive Pilot showcases this with over 35 sensors, including LiDAR and radar, working together to achieve certified Level 3 autonomy. In 2026, the auto industry accelerates its transition from combustion-based production to electrified, software-driven, and sustainable mobility.
Subsidies and incentives for EVs are also under scrutiny, with plans to reconsider or eliminate government-imposed market advantages that favour them. Crucially, the order halts federal funding for EV infrastructure projects, such as charging station programs, until they align with the administration’s policy goals. Additionally, looking at supply chains, AI and machine learning are driving the rise of autonomous logistics systems that can self-optimise routing, scheduling, and inventory management. These systems aim to minimise human intervention, improve decision-making, and enhance overall efficiency, paving the way for smarter supply chain operations. In Latin America, much like other regions, the electrified vehicle fleet is still only a small share of the total vehicle fleet; however, that share is growing. The Latin America Energy Organisation (Olade), released a report showing that with the increase in supply, lower prices and tax incentives, Latin America and the Caribbean have great potential for EV growth.
