CAM Study: Chinese car manufacturers are the most innovative - only BMW is at the top
For decades, German cars were considered world leaders. However, competition is rapidly increasing. In terms of innovation, German manufacturers cannot keep up with China's pace. According to a study by industry expert Stefan Bratzel, Chinese car manufacturers have further strengthened their leadership role in innovations. Recently, this group accounted for 46 percent of global innovation strength, as his Center of Automotive Management (CAM) reported on Thursday in Bergisch Gladbach. The evaluation includes innovations that are already in series production.
In 2019/20, the share of Chinese car manufacturers in innovation strength was still 21 percent. German car manufacturers fell back in total: Their innovation strength dropped from 45 percent to the current 23 percent in the same period. The competition from China had overtaken the three German car manufacturers in the ranking for the first time in 2022/23. The CAM has been preparing the report since 2005 and updates it annually. The current results include over 700 series innovations from 30 corporations with more than 100 car brands. The authors assess the innovations based on factors such as the degree of innovation, customer benefit, and originality. The period currently examined spans from February 2023 to January 2024.
Five Chinese Manufacturers in the Top 10 - BMW at the Top
According to the information, for the first time, five Chinese manufacturers are among the top 10 most innovative car companies. However, the Bavarian manufacturer BMW remains at the top. Among other things, there have been many innovations in automated driving as well as the range and charging performance of electric cars. Behind them in the ranking are the Chinese companies Geely and SAIC. They score particularly well in the fields of electromobility, driver assistance systems, and control and display concepts. After Toyota, Mercedes-Benz ranks fifth. The Volkswagen Group, with brands like VW, Audi, and Porsche, landed in sixth place, mainly due to weaknesses at Audi and the strength of the competition. Neither Opel's parent company Stellantis nor the American manufacturers Tesla, GM, and Ford are among the ten most innovative manufacturers.
Power Balance Shifts Towards China
According to study leader Bratzel, the industry is currently experiencing a "tectonic shift in the power balance in favor of Chinese automotive companies." This is increasingly evident in their innovative strength. In the future fields of e-mobility, software-defined cars, and connectivity, Chinese manufacturers have developed competencies upon which innovative series vehicles are being built at a high speed.
This poses a particular challenge for German car manufacturers. "They have to be at least as innovative as they are expensive." While they were able to increase their number of innovations by eight percent compared to the previous year, the number of Chinese innovations increased by 32 percent in the same period. "The pace of innovation in China is therefore significantly higher than the pace of innovation in Germany," it said.
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