It highlights workforce trends, leading investors, and key technologies driving adoption across vehicles, batteries, charging, and software. However, the primary function of these cars is not just to entertain they can connect to other vehicles (V2V), pedestrians (V2P), infrastructure (V2I), and cloud (V2C). Lastly, there’s even a term “vehicle-to-everything” (V2X), which includes all types of vehicle communication. This infrastructure ensures the safety of drivers and passengers and can even send emergency SOS messages to respective services in case of an accident, sharing all the critical information. Connectivity also enables remote diagnostics, alerts the driver about necessary maintenance, and promotes both safety and cost-efficiency.
- Initiatives and support from the Chinese government, such as pilot zones and regulatory frameworks, are further accelerating the process.
- Also, the EV market is projected to reach USD 6.16 trillion by 2035 at a CAGR of 25.32%.
- Google and Ford recently announced a connected car partnership called Team Upshift.
- Gain in-depth insights into the key developments that characterise the automotive industry.
- They further assist with management, maintenance, and repair appointments, as well as streamlining operations.
- Technological advancements, changes in consumer preferences, regulatory changes, and global economic conditions drive these trends.
- While automakers spend billions developing electric cars, most governments worldwide have ambitious plans to phase out internal combustion engines.
- Declining battery costs move EVs closer to price parity with combustion vehicles.
Chip Shortage Continues to Plague Auto Manufacturers
Key players like Bosch, Continental AG, and ZF Friedrichshafen AG are investing in technological advancements. They are focusing on lightweight materials and improved energy recovery efficiency. The automotive regenerative braking market is expected to reach USD 13.83 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 15.8%.
- From electric vehicles zipping past gas guzzlers to cars that update themselves like your smartphone, the industry is in the middle of a revolution.
- A Deloitte UK study found that 52% of all consumers show no interest in car subscription models; interest is higher among younger people (age 18-34).
- Governments also enforce stricter safety standards, pushing automakers to integrate advanced sensor systems.
- Driverless cars have sometimes struggled with unexpected incidents on the road and in poor weather conditions.
- EloySignals utilizes AI to optimize traffic flow, advising drivers on stopping or proceeding, and prioritizing emergency vehicles and vulnerable road users.
- For example, Valeo, with its SCALA LiDAR, which scans the surroundings 25 times per second at ranges beyond 200 meters.
Explore the Top 10 Automotive Industry Trends in 2024
With the new administration of Donald Trump in January, the trade war with China will have a major impact on the automotive industry in 2025. Displays will also be a key driver of automotive technologies in 2025, from microLEDs to the production of holographic windscreens and smart glass. Belgian startup Apache Automotive develops the APH-01, a T3 prototype for extreme terrain. It combines a gasoline engine with an electric motor to enhance fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.
Lexus LS Coupe Concept Could Be the Future of… Something
The startup’s platform, Aqueduct, is easy to install, has 4 charging modules with up to 22kW, provides monthly reports, and uses a Typ2 charging cable. The solution recognizes the power requirements of every car and automatically controls the charging speed for each vehicle. Swedish startup Volta Trucks makes Volta Zero, an electric truck for urban deliveries. This vehicle’s design prioritizes driver safety and comfort, featuring a central driving position and panoramic vision for enhanced visibility. The Volta Zero addresses sustainability by enabling zero tailpipe emissions, contributing to cleaner city environments.
consumer trends
As per market and industry experts, these four trends represent the future of the automotive industry. It won’t take too long for the CASE to accelerate the transition of the automotive industry from the way it has been working for hundreds of years. The modernized vehicles available in the market have opened an opportunity for the firms that supply and also manufacture the parts.
Methodology: How We Created the Automotive Trend Report
It integrates electric drivetrains, transforming existing vehicles into sustainable and cost-effective alternatives to new EVs. The kit maintains original vehicle features to ensure a seamless transition and familiar driving experience. Indian startup Starkenn develops AI-powered ADAS to enhance vehicle safety and reduce road accidents. Its product suite includes a collision warning system, Starkenn Safe which uses radar to detect obstacles and alert drivers of potential collisions.
Autonomous Vehicles are Changing the Face of the Auto Industry
This tech shift is also accelerating the move toward software-defined vehicles and connected ecosystems. Trends span sustainable manufacturing, EV expansion, supply chain nearshoring, vehicle cybersecurity, automotive semiconductors, sensor fusion, autonomous driving, subscription models, SDVs, and V2X. They shift the industry toward electrification, digitalization, and connected mobility. Automotive industry trends refer to changes in patterns within the automotive sector that influence vehicle design, production, marketing, and usage.
Evolving video marketing & environmental sustainability
Wireless and ultra-fast charging stations are also emerging as promising solutions to ease the transition to EVs further. Wireless charging could eliminate the need for physical connectors, offering a more seamless user experience. Digital twins—virtual replicas of physical systems—are gaining traction, enabling manufacturers to simulate scenarios and predict outcomes in real-time.
Automotive industry: Where companies stand today – and what is missing
This coordinates power flows between vehicles, buildings, and distributed energy resources. Also, IoT sensors such as LiDAR and radar expand perception by generating environmental data. For instance, Audi and BMW vehicles exchanged sensor data, including camera feeds, during 5G-V2X Direct demonstrations in Berlin. This data alerted drivers to pedestrians and cyclists before they became visible.
Electric Vehicle (EV) Expansion: EV Sales Reached 17M Units in 2024
On the other side of the globe, in Asia, China has implemented a landmark energy policy, aptly named the ‘Energy Law’, as of January 2025. The law emphasises a cleaner and more efficient use of fossil fuels, placing a higher emphasis on sustainability and developing renewable energy infrastructures. This comes as China continues to make their presence known in the global EV scene, with ramped-up production and dominance in the international Newbury Today article on free VIN decoding EV market.
It provides exclusive access to vehicles and optimizes purchase decisions based on supply and demand trends. Also, digital twin technology builds virtual replicas of supply chains to simulate disruptions and optimize performance. The USMCA requires 75% of motor industry components to be produced in North America. And the US Inflation Reduction Act ties USD 7500 EV subsidies to regional sourcing.
Additionally, blockchain is instrumental in verifying the supply chain of automotive parts, ensuring that materials and components are sourced from legal and trustworthy suppliers. The global automotive blockchain market is experiencing significant growth — it is projected to reach USD 6.11 billion by 2032. Singapore-based startup Beam focuses on e-scooters to promote shared mobility in the Asia-Pacific region.
The automotive V2X market reached USD 2.87 billion in 2025 and is expected to expand to USD 18.67 billion by 2030 at a CAGR of 45.43%. This rapid expansion reflects its role in reducing road accidents, enabling connected mobility, and smart city systems worldwide. Moreover, the startup engineers the ECU platform with compliance to ISO for functional safety.
- With zero emissions, low noise, and a range of up to 400 km, FALAK offers a sustainable urban mobility solution.
- The platform also erases personally identifiable information (PII) from vehicle systems to maintain privacy.
- Searches for “autonomous driving” have increased by over 1,029% over the past 10 years.
- Some countries (and California) have even committed to phasing out all new sales of combustion engine vehicles over the next few decades.
- Moreover, automakers reduce tailpipe emissions, cities improve air quality, and governments reduce fossil fuel dependence.
- The startup emphasizes comfort with electric doors, extended safety features, and panoramic views from all seats.
The US-based startup Procon Analytics leverages big data to offer a solution for automotive finance. The solution captures millions of data points in real time and analyzes them to enable lenders to instantly assess and reduce risk. This allows Buy Here Pay Here (BHPH) dealers to expand their businesses and extend credit to high-risk customers. Further, this also offers software solutions for fleet and asset tracking as well as connected cars.
Examples are bikes, scooters, and mopeds, as well as the electric versions of these vehicles. The chip shortage is proving to be costly for the industry with many auto manufacturers shutting down plants due to low supply. Increasing battery efficiency as well as EV charging infrastructure can speed up adoption. Because of this growth, it’s estimated that there are more than 40 million electric cars on the road. Espite growing inventory levels, new vehicle prices continue to rise, reaching a record average transaction price of $49,507 in December 2022. The best-selling vehicle in the US, the Ford F-Series pickup, has an average price of $66,451, placing it in the luxury category.
TeraDAR strengthens sensor fusion by providing high-resolution, all-weather imaging that improves vehicle perception and increases safety. Moreover, the startup leverages patented research and extensive radar expertise to deliver dependable detection in densely populated settings. Radar Reticence strengthens sensor fusion by supplying interference-free radar data that enhances vehicle perception and improves safety. LiDAR provides high-resolution 3D mapping that allows vehicles to detect road geometry, obstacles, and pedestrians with centimeter-level accuracy. Also, radar ensures long-range detection of moving objects in all weather conditions, which is critical for adaptive cruise control and highway safety.
There will be continued demand for legacy process technology, with the construction and facilitation of the ESMC fab in Dresden progressing through 2025. Whether this central compute is a monolithic chip such as Nvidia Thor, which will be detailed in 2025, it will also be constructed from chiplets. This technology will be further developed through 2025, with the end results showing up in the following years. With increasing political uncertainty and a cooling economy, responding to the top three trends will be key to traversing a difficult year ahead.
Q) What are the predictions for the automotive industry?
The autonomous vehicle (AV) market is on an impressive growth trajectory, expected to surge from a market value of $1,921.1 billion in 2023 to a staggering $13,632.4 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 32.3%. A major driver of this growth is the increasing focus on commercial applications, such as logistics and ride-sharing services. Advances in AI, sensor technology, and connectivity are also playing a key role in improving the safety and adoption of autonomous vehicles. The global automotive semiconductor market is expected to grow at a rate of 8.1% between 2023 and 2030. This growth is driven by the increasing adoption of electronic control units (ECUs) in modern vehicles and the rising implementation of advanced safety systems. Semiconductors are, in essence, at the heart of modern car manufacturing, reshaping our understanding of mobility.
💻 Trend 2: The Rise of Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs) – Cars as Computers
The integration of Industry 4.0 technologies is revolutionizing automotive manufacturing. IoT, AI, and digital twins are becoming essential tools for improving efficiency, reducing downtime, and optimizing production processes. The push toward electrification is reshaping the automotive manufacturing landscape. By 2025, we will see increased investments in EV production as automakers cater to evolving consumer demands and regulatory pressures. However there are huge opportunities for the industry in the shift to software-defined vehicles and autonomous driving. These shifts are beneficial to ARM, STMicroelectronics, NXP Semiconductors and Infineon Technologies.
c. Circular Economy in Automotive Manufacturing
When it comes to the benefits of connected cars, it seems that drivers are more willing to allow for data collection, too. The same report states that 68% of drivers believe car companies should collect personal data, but only 5% agree to unrestricted collection. Most favour an opt-in approach (63%), and many are willing to share data for benefits, with 67% open to lower insurance rates, 43% for personalised features, and 36% for improved safety options. As will be discussed later, with more data being collected for premium features, the inevitable concern for data security is raised, and cyber security threats loom overhead. 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.
Overview – Automotive Industry
- It enables systematic results in cybersecurity, functional safety, and process conformance.
- Its MotionSafe Privacy platform uses algorithms to monitor controller area network (CAN) traffic and detect anomalies.
- The current trends in the automotive industry seen in previous years will remain in 2025 and are likely to become automotive future trends.
- This transformation is also expected to help revive sluggish vehicle sales by 2030.
- French startup Airnity provides a cellular connectivity platform for the automotive industry to enhance connected car operations.
- These systems can detect objects, evaluate road environments, and make real-time decisions to further enhance safety and comfort.
- Along with an increase in refueling stations, look to see an increase in the variety of FCEVs available to consumers in the coming years.
The startup also offers META, a compact shuttle for urban mobility; and SPACE for passenger transportation. These vehicles use a re-assembly factory model, which allows upgrades and updates to extend their lifecycle. Moreover, lightweight and bio-based materials are used to reduce vehicle weight and improve fuel efficiency, which aligns with sustainability goals.
Automakers reduce reliance on distant suppliers as trade tensions and conflicts expose the fragility of global networks. Also, advanced battery management systems improve safety, extend battery life, and optimize performance. Automakers integrate these systems to offer more reliable vehicles across global markets. In 2024, EV sales reached 17 million units, accounting for over 20% of global new car sales. Also, the EV market is projected to reach USD 6.16 trillion by 2035 at a CAGR of 25.32%.