Revving back to life with a global production of over 85 million vehicles in 2022, the motor vehicle industry is navigating a landscape defined by electrification's surge, supply chain resilience, and intense geographic competition.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, global motor vehicle production reached 85,301,342 units, marking a 5.5% increase from 2021
- China produced 27,021,000 passenger cars in 2022, accounting for 31.6% of global production
- The United States manufactured 10,616,000 motor vehicles in 2022, including 9,078,000 light vehicles
- Global passenger car sales reached 66.8 million units in 2022, up 7.5% YoY
- US new light vehicle sales were 13.9 million in 2022
- China's passenger vehicle sales hit 20.5 million in 2022
- US motor vehicle manufacturing employment averaged 950,000 in 2022
- Global automotive industry employed 14 million people directly in 2022
- China's auto sector workforce was 4.5 million in 2022
- World motor vehicle industry revenue was $2.9 trillion in 2022
- US motor vehicle manufacturing revenue reached $800 billion in 2022
- Toyota's revenue from automotive was $275 billion in FY2022
- Global CO2 emissions from auto manufacturing 500 million tons in 2022
- Average fuel economy of new US vehicles 26.4 mpg in 2022
- EV share of global sales 14% in 2022
Global vehicle production grew in 2022, while electric vehicles expanded rapidly worldwide.
Employment and Workforce
- US motor vehicle manufacturing employment averaged 950,000 in 2022
- Global automotive industry employed 14 million people directly in 2022
- China's auto sector workforce was 4.5 million in 2022
- US assembly plant jobs totaled 560,000 in 2022
- Germany's automotive employment stood at 830,000 in 2022
- Japan's motor vehicle manufacturing jobs were 550,000 in 2022
- Mexico auto industry employed 900,000 workers in 2022
- India's automotive sector jobs reached 3.5 million in FY2022-23
- South Korea's auto manufacturing workforce was 240,000 in 2022
- Brazil vehicle manufacturing employed 1.3 million in 2022
- France auto industry jobs 400,000 in 2022
- Spain's automotive employment was 200,000 in 2022
- Thailand auto sector jobs totaled 350,000 in 2022
- Turkey vehicle manufacturing employed 150,000 in 2022
- US average hourly earnings in motor vehicle manufacturing were $28.50 in 2022
- Occupational employment in US auto assembly: production workers 80%
- Global R&D staff in auto industry: 1.5 million in 2022
- Women in US auto manufacturing: 25% of workforce in 2022
- Temporary agency workers in German auto sector: 15% of total in 2022
- US auto parts manufacturing jobs: 390,000 in 2022
- EV battery production jobs globally: 500,000 in 2022
- Labor productivity in US motor vehicles: $250,000 per worker in 2022
- Unionized workforce in US Big 3: 80% in 2022
- Skilled trades shortage in US auto: 50,000 openings in 2022
- Turnover rate in US auto manufacturing: 12% in 2022
- Training hours per employee in Toyota: 80 hours annually in 2022
- Global auto supplier employment: 9 million in 2022
- US layoffs in auto: 20,000 in 2022 due to chip shortage
- Diversity: Black workers 10% in US auto manufacturing 2022
- Average age of US auto workers: 44 years in 2022
- Remote work in auto engineering: 20% in 2022
Employment and Workforce Interpretation
The global auto industry, employing over 14 million souls, reveals a world where China’s workforce matches its ambition, America compensates with formidable productivity and a stubborn unionized core, and everyone else is either racing for the electric future or nervously eyeing the parts bin and the retirement age of their average worker.
Environmental Impact and Sustainability
- Global CO2 emissions from auto manufacturing 500 million tons in 2022
- Average fuel economy of new US vehicles 26.4 mpg in 2022
- EV share of global sales 14% in 2022
- Water usage in auto manufacturing 30,000 liters per vehicle globally
- Toyota's Scope 1+2 emissions 70 million tCO2e in FY2022
- Recycling rate of end-of-life vehicles in EU 95% in 2022
- Global battery recycling capacity 200 GWh targeted by 2025 from 50 GWh in 2022
- US auto industry energy consumption 300 TWh in 2022
- Volkswagen's renewable energy use 100% in European plants by 2022
- China's auto sector carbon intensity down 20% since 2012 to 2022
- Number of zero-emission vehicles produced globally 3 million in 2022
- Paint shop VOC emissions reduced 50% industry-wide since 2010 to 2022
- Global shift: 25% of steel in vehicles recycled content in 2022
- Tesla Gigafactory water recycling rate 90% in 2022
- EU manufacturers fleet average CO2 108.4 g/km in 2022
- Aluminum use in vehicles up to 200 kg per car average in 2022, recyclable
- Waste generation per vehicle 1.5 tons in manufacturing 2022
- Solar power capacity at auto plants 5 GW globally in 2022
- Biofuel use in auto supply chain 10% in 2022
- Noise pollution reduction: 80 dB max in new plants 2022 standards
- Biodiversity impact: 1,000 ha restored by top firms in 2022
- Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles produced 10,000 in 2022 globally
- Scope 3 emissions reporting by 70% of top automakers in 2022
- Lightweighting reduced fuel use by 5% per vehicle since 2015 to 2022
- Global patents for green auto tech 50,000 filed in 2022
- Plant electrification: 40% of capacity in Europe by 2022
Environmental Impact and Sustainability Interpretation
The auto industry is making progress on its colossal environmental hangover—painting itself greener, recycling more, and electrifying like mad—but the sheer scale of its manufacturing thirst, waste, and emissions means we’re still watching a gas-guzzling giant try to tiptoe quietly into a sustainable future.
Financial Performance
- World motor vehicle industry revenue was $2.9 trillion in 2022
- US motor vehicle manufacturing revenue reached $800 billion in 2022
- Toyota's revenue from automotive was $275 billion in FY2022
- Volkswagen Group revenue hit €279 billion in 2022
- GM revenue was $156 billion in 2022
- Ford revenue $158 billion in 2022
- Stellantis revenue €189 billion in 2022
- Hyundai revenue $117 billion in 2022
- Global auto industry EBITDA margin averaged 8.5% in 2022
- Tesla revenue grew to $81.5 billion in 2022, up 51%
- Average profit per vehicle globally $2,500 in 2022
- US auto industry net profit $50 billion in 2022
- China's auto manufacturers total profit ¥400 billion RMB in 2022
- BMW Group EBIT €18.6 billion in 2022
- Mercedes-Benz revenue €150 billion, EBIT €20.5 billion in 2022
- Honda operating profit ¥1.6 trillion in FY2022
- Nissan revenue ¥12.4 trillion, profit ¥215 billion in FY2022
- Global R&D spending by auto firms $140 billion in 2022
- Capital expenditure in auto industry $200 billion globally in 2022
- Debt-to-equity ratio average 1.2 for top automakers in 2022
- Cash reserves of top 10 automakers $300 billion in 2022
- Inventory turnover ratio in US auto: 8.5 times in 2022
- Supplier payment terms averaged 60 days in 2022
- EV segment gross margins 25% vs 10% ICE in 2022
- Warranty costs per vehicle $1,200 average in 2022
- Ad spend by auto industry $20 billion globally in 2022
- Tax payments by global auto firms $100 billion in 2022
Financial Performance Interpretation
The global auto industry is a $2.9 trillion behemoth where making a car is still a surprisingly thin-margin, capital-intensive, and debt-fueled gamble, even as the electric upstarts show that the real money might not be in the metal but in the margin.
Production and Manufacturing Output
- In 2022, global motor vehicle production reached 85,301,342 units, marking a 5.5% increase from 2021
- China produced 27,021,000 passenger cars in 2022, accounting for 31.6% of global production
- The United States manufactured 10,616,000 motor vehicles in 2022, including 9,078,000 light vehicles
- Japan output stood at 7,835,000 vehicles in 2022, down 6.8% from the previous year due to supply chain issues
- Germany's motor vehicle production was 4,116,000 units in 2022, with a focus on premium segments
- In 2023 Q1, global production of electric vehicles hit 2.7 million units, up 35% YoY
- Toyota Motor Corporation produced 10.5 million vehicles globally in fiscal 2023
- Volkswagen Group output reached 8.3 million vehicles in 2022
- Ford Motor Company US production was 1.8 million units in 2022
- Hyundai-Kia produced 7.3 million vehicles in 2022
- India's motor vehicle production grew to 25.9 million units in FY 2022-23, up 23%
- Brazil produced 2.4 million vehicles in 2022
- South Korea's output was 4.0 million units in 2022
- France manufactured 1.75 million vehicles in 2022
- Mexico's production hit 3.9 million units in 2022, mainly for export
- Spain produced 2.2 million vehicles in 2022
- Thailand output reached 1.84 million units in 2022
- Indonesia produced 1.37 million vehicles in 2022
- Russia's production fell to 0.69 million units in 2022 due to sanctions
- Turkey manufactured 1.35 million vehicles in 2022
- In 2022, global light commercial vehicle production was 12.5 million units
- Heavy truck production worldwide reached 3.2 million units in 2022
- Global bus production was 0.32 million units in 2022
- US SUV and crossover production was 4.2 million units in 2022
- Europe's passenger car production dropped 10% to 13.5 million in 2022
- China's commercial vehicle production was 5.1 million in 2022
- GM produced 6.1 million vehicles globally in 2022
- Stellantis output was 6.0 million units in 2022
- Honda produced 3.7 million vehicles in fiscal 2022
- In 2023, Tesla Gigafactory Shanghai produced over 947,000 vehicles
Production and Manufacturing Output Interpretation
Even as Toyota and Volkswagen jostle for the traditional crown, China's dominant one-third share of all passenger cars and Tesla's relentless electric surge signal that the global industry's future is being decided not just on the horsepower highway, but on the semiconductor and battery backroads.
Sales and Market Demand
- Global passenger car sales reached 66.8 million units in 2022, up 7.5% YoY
- US new light vehicle sales were 13.9 million in 2022
- China's passenger vehicle sales hit 20.5 million in 2022
- Europe (EU+EFTA+UK) car sales totaled 13.0 million in 2022, down 10%
- Japan's new vehicle sales were 4.4 million in 2022
- India's passenger vehicle sales reached 3.9 million units in FY 2022-23
- Global EV sales surged to 10.2 million units in 2022, 35% growth
- US EV sales were 0.8 million in 2022, representing 5.8% market share
- Tesla delivered 1.31 million vehicles worldwide in 2022
- Toyota sold 10.5 million vehicles globally in 2022
- Volkswagen Group delivered 8.3 million vehicles in 2022
- Ford US sales were 1.9 million vehicles in 2022
- Hyundai Motor Group sold 7.3 million units in 2022
- Global luxury car sales were 2.7 million units in 2022
- Brazil vehicle sales reached 2.1 million in 2022
- South Korea domestic sales were 1.7 million in 2022
- German new car registrations fell to 2.8 million in 2022
- France car sales were 1.9 million in 2022
- Pickup truck sales in US hit 2.3 million in 2022
- SUV sales globally exceeded 45 million units in 2022
- Commercial vehicle sales worldwide were 26.5 million in 2022
- UK new car sales dropped to 1.9 million in 2022
- Australia's vehicle sales were 1.08 million in 2022
- Mexico vehicle sales reached 1.36 million in 2022
- Canada's light vehicle sales were 1.54 million in 2022
- Global hybrid vehicle sales hit 4.5 million in 2022
- GM US sales were 2.27 million in 2022
- Stellantis global sales 6.0 million vehicles in 2022
- Honda global sales 3.98 million in fiscal 2022
- BYD sold 1.86 million new energy vehicles in 2022
Sales and Market Demand Interpretation
Despite Tesla's buzz and the electric surge, the old gas-guzzling reality, led by Toyota's ten million, still dominates the roads, proving that even in a revolution, the internal combustion engine remains a stubborn monarch.
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