As the global automotive industry accelerates through electrification and intelligence transformation, AutoVision Awards, established in 1993 as an independent evaluation institution, remains committed to tracking structural evolution with analytical precision, continuously refining its assessment frameworks and methodologies to reflect fundamental shifts in how value is created and measured.

By 2025, the global automotive sector has entered a critical phase of systemic reconfiguration. Electrification has transitioned from industry aspiration to market reality. New energy vehicle penetration has crossed key thresholds globally, with major markets entering a new cycle of scaled adoption. The intelligence dimension continues to deepen, with industry focus upgrading from isolated technical innovation toward integrated vehicle intelligence ecosystems. Software-defined vehicle architecture has become global industry consensus. Particularly noteworthy is the rapid expansion of automotive industry boundaries. Vehicles have moved beyond their traditional definition as mobility tools, evolving into intelligent platforms that integrate energy nodes, data terminals, and living spaces, embedding deeply within smart city and clean energy ecosystems. Although regional market development remains uneven, this trajectory represents an unstoppable trend.

Within this transformed market environment, it is necessary to reassess how structural shifts influence automotive brand value. In 2025, AutoVision implemented a systematic upgrade to its evaluation framework. In addition to the structured collection of traditional financial and market indicators, the assessment expanded its observation of mainstream social platforms including TikTok, Instagram, and Weibo, alongside deeper analysis of user behaviour patterns. By integrating multi-source data from both online and offline channels, the framework enhances visibility into consumer response across key segments. Supported by an expanding global observer network, the system enables continuous monitoring of regional preference variation and market cycle dynamics.

2025 AutoVision Global Automotive Brand Value Overview

In 2025, the global automotive industry's brand value landscape has undergone historic reconfiguration. Three core trends are driving this transformation. Rapid new energy vehicle development is accelerating industry transition, with Chinese brands achieving breakthrough advancement. Sustainability has moved from compliance obligation to core strategic asset, evolving into a critical driver of brand value. Competition has expanded beyond product performance to encompass ecosystem orchestration, with software, energy integration, and service architecture emerging as new frontiers. Industry competitive structure continues to reshape as electrification and intelligence transition enter a phase where scaled expansion and differentiated development proceed in parallel.

Research findings indicate that Toyota Group has returned to the top position in brand value rankings, leveraging systematic advantages in hybrid powertrain technology, global operational footprint, and sustainable manufacturing capabilities. Japanese automotive brands maintain substantial influence globally, with eight brands represented including Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and Suzuki, demonstrating distinctive strengths in hybrid systems, fuel cell development, global lean production, and segment-specific customization. Volkswagen Group follows closely, exhibiting both the operational resilience required for scaled transition and acute responsiveness to market volatility. German automotive brands led by Volkswagen sustain strong competitive positions. BMW Group and Mercedes-Benz Group have consolidated their leadership through astute market intelligence and sustained investment in luxury electrification, digitalized customer experience, and premium sustainable mobility. BYD’s ascent to third position marks the first time a Chinese automotive brand has entered the global top three. China’s advancement in new energy vehicles has become a core structural variable in the ongoing transformation of the global automotive industry, influencing technology pathways, cost structures, and competitive dynamics across multiple markets. Chinese automotive brands are achieving global value advancement through cluster effects. This year, Chinese automotive groups occupy ten positions, with Great Wall Motors and Dongfeng Motor Group entering the rankings for the first time, reflecting the rapid enhancement of manufacturing and supply chain capabilities across China's automotive industry.

From a regional perspective, Asian automotive brands demonstrate particularly strong performance. Beyond Toyota and BYD, Hyundai-Kia Group maintains a position in the upper tier. European automotive brands continue to lead in the global luxury vehicle segment. BMW Group ranks fifth, with Mercedes-Benz Group at eighth, demonstrating the inherent advantages European automotive engineering retains in technical innovation and R&D depth amid intense market transformation. The inclusion of Volvo Cars and Porsche further enriches competitive dynamics in the premium segment.North American automotive brands are pursuing differentiated pathways through electrification transition. Tesla continues to lead in electric vehicle technology innovation. Ford Motor Company has achieved significant breakthroughs in subsegments including electric pickup trucks. General Motors is accelerating its electrification transformation trajectory.

What merits emphasis is that sustainability has become deeply integrated into the strategic core and operational practice of leading automotive brands. Both established incumbents and emerging players are intensifying investment in environmental technology development, supply chain decarbonization, circular material application, factory green transformation, and social responsibility execution. This is not merely a necessary response to global climate imperatives but has become a fundamental commercial element and strategic opportunity for creating brand differentiation, earning consumer recognition, and securing investor confidence. Automakers are converting sustainability principles into quantifiable and perceptible brand premium through practices including full lifecycle carbon management, renewable energy utilization, and battery recycling system development.

Chinese brands represented by Geely Holding Group have achieved notable breakthroughs in intelligent electric architectures, in-vehicle system ecosystems, and global market expansion through strategies balancing proprietary development with open collaboration. German luxury brands exemplified by BMW and Mercedes-Benz continue to set industry direction in high-efficiency electric powertrains, lightweight material innovation, advanced autonomous driving, and digitalized customer experience, reinforcing their brand appeal in high-value market segments.

As digital ecosystems continue to expand, social media and user co-creation platforms have become central arenas where automotive brands establish deep connections with consumers. Brands including BYD, Tesla, and Mercedes-Benz demonstrate strong performance in interactive content, user sentiment, and community engagement on platforms such as TikTok, Weibo, and X, not only effectively amplifying brand influence in key markets but directly driving product awareness and sales conversion. This underscores the importance of brand development and user relationship reconfiguration in the digital era. This is not simple tool upgrading but a fundamental paradigm shift in thinking. As algorithms increasingly participate in decision-making and data becomes a new factor of production, we must rethink the role of “brand” in value creation. When network effects carry more influence than economies of scale, competitive advantage lies not in what you control but in what you can connect. The brand's task is no longer transmitting more information but creating more meaningful experiences. In an era where algorithms can generate content, humanity's mission is to infuse experience with soul and meaning.

Data Analysis

Toyota Group: Brand Value Reconfiguration Through Multi-Pathway Strategy

Toyota Group returned to the top position in global automotive brand value rankings in 2025 with the highest composite score, a result that reflects not merely the continuation of hybrid powertrain advantages but the successful execution of systematic strategic transformation. Confronting global electrification momentum, Toyota has advanced a multi-pathway carbon neutrality strategy that integrates hybrid, battery electric, and hydrogen fuel cell technologies within a unified architecture. This approach sustains leadership in conventional hybrid markets while achieving breakthrough progress in battery electric segments, restoring positive sales growth globally.

Toyota's global electric vehicle sales increased substantially in 2025, with hybrid variants still accounting for more than half of volume. Multi-regional data confirms the market adaptability of this graduated transition strategy. Toyota's distinctive capability lies in successfully extending lean production principles into the new energy era. Through modularized design within the e-TNGA platform, development efficiency for electric models has improved by 50 percent while costs have declined significantly, providing critical support in global price competition. Noteworthy is Toyota's advancement in solid-state battery technology, with volume production announced for 2027 targeting energy density of 500 Wh/kg. Concurrently, Toyota's hydrogen fuel cell technology has achieved substantive progress in global commercial vehicle applications.

In global market positioning, Toyota demonstrates exceptional localization adaptation. In North America, deep integration with regional supply chains effectively mitigates trade policy risk. In Southeast Asia, the industrial ecosystem established over decades sustains exceptionally high market share. In Europe, targeted carbon emissions compliance strategy ensures core vehicle models achieve 100 percent conformity with EU regulations. Toyota's brand value enhancement also benefits from deeply integrated sustainability practices. In 2025, renewable energy utilization across Toyota factories reached 79 percent, with recycled material usage at 25 percent. These measures not only reduce operational costs but reinforce the brand's environmental priority positioning. Toyota's 2050 carbon neutrality roadmap has entered second-phase implementation. This long-term strategic consistency has earned investor and consumer confidence.

Volkswagen Group: Value Preservation Through Platform Scale and Supply Chain Resilience

Volkswagen Group holds second position amid intense market transformation, reflecting the resilience and strategic intelligence traditional automotive incumbents demonstrate during electrification transition. Volkswagen's success derives from adeptly balancing transition velocity with economies of scale. Through scaled deployment of the MEB platform, development costs for electric models have declined substantially while component commonality has increased significantly, effectively amortizing R&D and production marginal costs.

By 2025, Volkswagen's hybrid power strategy has evolved into a more systematized electrification platform strategy, not only reducing development costs but shortening time-to-market cycles and enabling rapid response to demand shifts. In the Chinese market, Volkswagen exhibits rare strategic flexibility. Through establishment of an “In China, for China” dedicated development organization, Volkswagen has developed multiple exclusive electric models tailored to Chinese consumer requirements.

Volkswagen's brand positioning also benefits from supply chain resilience development. Facing semiconductor shortages and raw material price volatility, Volkswagen has secured critical resource supply through vertical integration and long-term contractual agreements. Strategic partnerships with multiple battery manufacturers ensure stable battery supply over the next five years. This forward-looking supply chain configuration provides a solid foundation for scaled electric transition. In sustainability, Volkswagen's investments have converted into brand value. The “Way to Zero” full value chain decarbonization strategy not only establishes clear carbon neutrality targets but implements full-chain carbon footprint tracking systems. By advancing carbon reduction measures across the entire value chain, Volkswagen has successfully reduced product lifecycle emissions by 30 percent. This transparent environmental management has earned broad consumer recognition, elevated brand awareness, and significantly driven terminal sales conversion.

BYD: Global Breakthrough Through Vertical Technology Integration

BYD has ascended to third position for the first time, with core momentum derived from successful execution of its vertical technology integration strategy. BYD's distinctive characteristic is that it functions not only as an automotive manufacturer but as a proprietary developer and supplier of core technologies including battery systems, electric motor controls, and semiconductors.

In 2025, BYD's Blade Battery technology completed third-generation development, achieving energy density of 180 Wh/kg while reducing costs by 15 percent versus second generation. This technical innovation translates directly into product competitiveness, providing BYD electric vehicles with clear range advantages within equivalent price segments. More noteworthy is that BYD's DM-i super hybrid system achieves fuel economy breakthrough, reducing consumption to 3.8 liters per 100 kilometers and establishing a new benchmark in global hybrid markets. BYD's globalization strategy demonstrates formidable execution capacity. BYD's overseas sales performed strongly in 2025, creating remarkable “BYD velocity” across multiple markets. In Europe, market share has increased steadily through intensive localized marketing and product adaptation. In Southeast Asia, the commissioning of BYD's Thailand factory not only reduces tariff costs but secures policy support through localized production. This “global footprint, local operations” model provides sustainable and stable propulsion for international expansion.

R&D investment constitutes a critical guarantee for BYD's brand value enhancement. Over 110,000 R&D personnel represent 28 percent of total BYD workforce. The company has constructed one of the world's largest automotive R&D facilities, with annual R&D investment maintained above 6 percent of revenue. Sustained high-intensity R&D investment maintains leading-edge advantages in frontier technologies including solid-state batteries and intelligent driving. BYD's sustainability practices are equally notable. The “Cool the Earth by 1°C” initiative functions not merely as an environmental slogan but as a systematic practice spanning the entire business chain. Through synergistic development of proprietary photovoltaic power generation, energy storage systems, and electric vehicles, BYD is constructing a complete clean energy ecosystem. Systematic environmental practices have earned industry-leading ratings in global ESG investment assessments, securing broad recognition from global investors and markets.

Hyundai-Kia Group: Market Balance Through Design Innovation and Technical Pragmatism

Hyundai Motor Group maintains a position in the global top four, an achievement rooted in adept balance between design innovation and pragmatic technical advancement. Hyundai's success lies in combining design-driven principles with practical technology innovation, creating products that possess both aesthetic value and technical substance.

The E-GMP dedicated electric platform represents concentrated demonstration of Hyundai Motor Group technical capability. The platform not only supports 800V high-voltage fast charging systems, achieving industry-leading 18-minute charging to 80 percent capacity, but enables rapid multi-model development through modularized design. In 2025, models based on this platform span full segment coverage from compact vehicles to large SUVs. Hyundai Motor Group's differentiated strategies across global markets merit deeper examination. In North America, long-established quality reputation and innovative warranty programs have delivered steady market share gains. In Europe, design advantages and environmental positioning have won favor among younger consumer cohorts. In India and other emerging markets, localized development has introduced high value-to-price electric models, successfully capturing early-mover advantage. Hydrogen fuel cell technology represents another technical high ground for Hyundai Motor Group. Hydrogen fuel cell systems for commercial vehicles have gained broad recognition among logistics enterprises. This “electric and hydrogen parallel” technical strategy secures strategic initiative in an era of new energy diversification.

In sustainability, Hyundai Motor Group has advanced a “hydrogen society” vision, committing substantial capital to hydrogen infrastructure development. Domestic Korean factories are accelerating renewable energy transition. This comprehensive environmental commitment adds significant weight to brand value.

BMW and Mercedes-Benz: Luxury Transformation Through Contrasting Strategic Pathways

BMW Group and Mercedes-Benz Group rank fifth and eighth respectively in the 2025 global automotive brand value assessment, demonstrating the formidable resilience and strategic intelligence German automotive brands exhibit during electrification transition. The two groups pursue distinct transformation pathways while jointly illustrating how traditional luxury brands sustain core competitiveness and brand value within new industry cycles.

BMW exemplifies graduated innovation. The Neue Klasse platform integrates sixth-generation eDrive technology with innovative digital experience architecture. The Panoramic Vision Bridge redefines driver interaction paradigms. In sustainability, BMW leads in implementing full closed-loop material circularity systems for new vehicle models. In global positioning, differentiated localization strategies targeting Chinese, American, and European markets have become new profit growth nodes, successfully expanding profit models.

Mercedes-Benz pioneers comprehensive electrification. Mercedes-Benz's “electric first” strategy reflects systematic advancement. The EVA dedicated electric platform supports full-line vehicle development, incorporating 800V ultra-fast charging systems and SiC power electronics to enhance charging efficiency and energy performance. The MB.OS operating system constructs an open digital ecosystem, accelerating transformation toward software and services. Sustainability targets are explicit: achieving full value chain carbon neutrality by 2039, establishing closed-loop recycling systems for end-of-life batteries, with European passenger vehicle and battery factories already carbon-neutral in production.

Shared success through differentiated competition. BMW emphasizes graduated innovation and user experience continuity. Mercedes-Benz prioritizes systemic reconstruction and ecosystem development. Both have successfully integrated century-long luxury manufacturing expertise with electrification technologies, opening new growth curves while maintaining brand premium. This provides templates for global luxury brand transformation. As electrification and intelligence trends deepen, BMW and Mercedes-Benz competition is evolving from traditional product performance comparison toward ecosystem completeness and user experience comprehensiveness. Their successful transformations will not only determine the future configuration of German automotive engineering but provide critical reference for how global luxury automotive sectors define value in the new era.

American Tesla and Ford: American Electrification Through Disruption and Legacy Conversion

Tesla and Ford rank sixth and seventh respectively, representing two entirely distinct success paradigms for American automotive industry electrification transition: disruptive innovation versus traditional advantage conversion.

Tesla is a technology-driven ecosystem architect. Leading the industry through a “software defines hardware, ecosystem empowers product” model, Tesla leverages user data and supercomputing to create a technical closed loop enabling rapid iteration. Its 4680 structural battery cell volume production achieves dual breakthrough in cost reduction and vehicle weight savings. The FSD V12 system advances end-to-end autonomous driving through pure vision methodology, continuously pushing technical boundaries. Energy business constitutes a new growth pole, with Megapack storage system revenue growth constructing “vehicle plus energy” synergistic ecosystems. Global production networks including Berlin, Shanghai, and Texas, plus planned Mexican facilities, demonstrate flexible positioning capability.

Ford represents classic segment-focused transformation. Practicing “leverage strengths, pursue dual-track oil-electric” pragmatic transition, the F-150 series sustains American pickup market leadership through hybrid and range-extended variants, converting traditional advantages into electrification competitiveness. The E-Transit electric commercial vehicle has earned recognition from global logistics enterprises, pioneering new commercial electric segments. BlueCruise driver assistance systems have secured EU compliance certification, winning market confidence. In sustainability, Ford has established 2035 carbon neutrality targets, with zero-carbon electricity usage reaching 60 percent across global factories, innovatively applying recycled ocean plastics in component manufacturing.

Synergistic insight from differentiated pathways. Tesla defines industry standards through frontier technology innovation. Ford achieves scaled breakthrough through segment market cultivation. Both jointly demonstrate that successful transition requires rooting in core enterprise capabilities, either opening new competitive arenas through technical disruption or converting traditional strengths into new electrification-era competitiveness. American dual leaders' practices provide valuable reference for global automakers pursuing electrification transition from different starting positions.

Global Automotive Industry Trends and Forward Outlook

• 1.  Brand Value Reconfiguration:
  Traditional OEM Strategic Reassertion and New Energy Pioneer Headwinds

  The global automotive brand value landscape reflects the resurgence of traditional incumbents alongside mounting challenges for brands that relied heavily on pure electric positioning. By 2025, global new energy vehicle penetration reached 35 percent, signalling that electrification transition has crossed the early adoption phase and entered mainstream market diffusion. The underlying competitive drivers are shifting from policy incentives toward product-level competition. Electric vehicle manufacturers have achieved cost reduction and performance enhancement through technical innovation, enabling total cost of ownership parity with internal combustion vehicles in key segments.

  Traditional automakers are reclaiming strategic initiative through technical pragmatism combined with full-chain risk mitigation capabilities, while brands previously advantaged by pure electric first-mover positioning now confront growth plateaus and regional market volatility. Established groups led by Toyota and Volkswagen are executing steady transformation anchored by deep internal combustion foundations and sustained profit generation. Core strategic support derives from multi-pathway carbon neutrality frameworks. Hybrid models simultaneously satisfy fuel efficiency requirements while mitigating charging infrastructure inadequacy risks. Elevated renewable energy utilization rates across global factories and increased recycled material proportions within manufacturing further reinforce “reliable plus environmental” brand positioning. Concurrently, consumer novelty toward new energy vehicles is moderating. Subsidy reductions in China, the United States, and other markets, combined with rapidly expanding alternative offerings in global electric vehicle markets, create both opportunity and pressure. Major automotive brands face intensified technical innovation and market competition demands as brand value enters a period of acute reconfiguration.

• 2.  Cognitive Elevation in Technical Paradigms:
  When Technology Becomes Thinking Itself

  Software-defined vehicle architecture remains focal through 2026. Yet despite transformative potential, actual vehicle lifecycle remains constrained by physical boundaries. Automotive intelligence is transitioning from isolated functional applications toward integrated whole-vehicle intelligence. Synergy between intelligent cockpit and intelligent driving systems has become directional. Artificial intelligence deployment in automotive applications is entering deeper implementation phases. Large language model integration within in-vehicle systems enables comprehension of more complex natural language commands. Advances in computer vision technology enhance environmental perception capabilities within driver assistance systems. The convergence of these technologies is redefining human-vehicle interaction paradigms.

  Data-driven personalization services constitute emerging competitive focus. Automakers analyze vehicle usage data to provide individualized driving recommendations, maintenance alerts, and value-added services. This shift from product delivery toward service operations is reshaping automotive industry business models. Global coordination of technical standards confronts new complexity. Regulatory divergence across markets in data security, autonomous driving, and carbon emissions represents compliance challenges automakers must navigate. Industry organizations must play more active roles in harmonizing market variance while balancing individual privacy protection.

  AI, blockchain, and IoT are reconstructing human cognitive frameworks. This represents not merely tool upgrading but fundamental paradigm transformation in thinking. As algorithms begin defining decision logic and data becomes new production factors, we must reconsider the role of “humanity” in value creation. Embracing this transformation is not choice but survival necessity. Society is shifting from “using technology” toward “thinking with technological mindsets.” Automotive technology evolves from “technology stacking” toward “user value orientation.” Future vehicles will function as mobile ecosystem cores integrating intelligent decision-making, convenient mobility, bidirectional charging, and diverse services.

• 3.  Market and Competitive Landscape:
  Low-Growth Dynamics and Regional Divergence

  The current global automotive industry market and competitive structure is undergoing profound structural reconfiguration. Competitive focus shifts from product performance toward comprehensive “technology plus ecosystem plus service” capabilities. Core characteristics include sustained eastward market gravity shift, competitive dimensionality expansion from isolated electrification toward full-stack intelligence, and deepening geopolitical policy intervention into competitive rules. Projections indicate that due to China-US market saturation, inflation, and elevated interest rates, 2026 global light vehicle sales will likely enter a low-growth period.

  Asia will constitute the sole higher-growth region, with China contributing 60 percent of global volume increment. China remains the world's largest single market, with electrification penetration forecast to exceed 50 percent. The market exhibits high segmentation, spanning from micro mobility vehicles to luxury intelligent vehicles across full electrification and intelligence spectrums. Extended-range and plug-in hybrid variants advance in parallel with battery electric. Product iteration cycles operate at monthly cadence. Price and feature competition may intensify. Intelligent driving and intelligent cockpit experience constitute core value propositions. Domestic supply chains demonstrate maturity with highly competitive cost structures.

  Europe's electrification penetration will advance steadily, though growth velocity may decelerate due to economic volatility and subsidy phase-outs. Consumer preference diffuses from premium electric vehicles toward mass-market offerings. Regional incumbents face dual pressure from American Tesla and Chinese brands. Competitive focus centers on cost control, supply chain localization, and electric vehicle products aligned with European aesthetic preferences.

  United States and emerging markets face distinct trajectories. US electrification penetration is projected to reach 15 to 30 percent, with growth velocity significantly influenced by interest rates and IRA implementation outcomes. Large electric pickups and SUVs drive volume growth. Tesla maintains dominance through first-mover and cost advantages. Traditional Detroit Three leverage brand equity and distribution networks in transformation efforts, though profitability pressure remains substantial. South Asia, Middle East, and Latin America are at electrification inception, with considerable growth potential. Competition revolves around high value-to-price electric offerings. Chinese brands secure early advantage through industrial chain and product strengths. Japanese automakers accelerate hybrid and electric model introductions to capture market position.

  Research forecasts 2026 global light vehicle sales growth below 2 percent, primarily reflecting China-US market deceleration and inflation plus elevated interest rates suppressing European and American consumption propensity. China's domestic market intensification escalates, with price competition compressing margins. Exports constitute core incremental volume, projected to increase 13 percent year-over-year. Western Europe gradually recovers but remains constrained by energy costs. The US market exhibits weak consumer demand due to tariff policy and electric vehicle subsidy reductions.

• 4.  Sustainability Development:
  No Longer Moral Choice But Commercial Imperative

  Climate change, resource scarcity, social responsibility—these are no longer peripheral concerns but core business risks and opportunities. Sustainability has become a fundamental element of automotive brand value creation. In 2025, leading automaker ESG performance exhibited clear positive correlation with financial performance. Emerging automakers represented by Tesla and BYD not only intensify ESG investment but integrate sustainability throughout thinking paradigms and business design principles.

  Circular economy concepts are accelerating within automotive industry implementation. From design-for-disassembly to material recycling, from component remanufacturing to battery cascade utilization, the automotive circular economy system is advancing. This “design-production-use-recycling” closed-loop system not only reduces resource consumption but creates new commercial value.

  Supply chain green transformation constitutes an industry priority. Automakers increasingly require suppliers to provide carbon footprint data and incorporate environmental factors into procurement decisions. This supply chain green management amplifies per-vehicle emissions reduction effectiveness, achieving full value chain decarbonization. Brand value assessment dimensions no longer confine to sales volume and technology. “Full value chain sustainability management” and “cross-domain revenue extension” have become new value engines. Corporate ESG ratings have become significant brand value measurement indicators.

• 5.  Supply Chain Reconstruction:
  Resilience and Localization in Parallel

  Rising trade protectionism drives policy shifts. The United States imposed tariffs on automobiles and critical components from April 2025. The European Union levies substantial anti-subsidy duties on Chinese electric vehicles and proposes incorporating automobiles within the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. Mexico plans significant tariff increases on non-free trade agreement countries beginning 2026. These policies intensify global automotive trade friction, significantly affecting Mexico, Canada, and Chinese automakers. Global supply chains face disruption, prompting automakers to adjust capacity positioning and cross-border operational strategies. The WTO projects 2026 global merchandise trade growth at only 0.5 percent. Current global automotive supply chains are experiencing the most extensive geographic reconfiguration since World War II. Regionalization is displacing globalization as an irreversible trend, with automakers adopting “regional production plus regional supply” models. Three major regional supply clusters are forming: North America (USMCA), Europe (EU plus EFTA), and Asia-Pacific (China plus ASEAN plus Japan plus South Korea). OEM supplier radius contracts from global to regional scale, addressing geopolitical and logistics risks.

  From a production factor perspective, AI computing competition compresses automotive-grade semiconductor capacity. Current automotive semiconductors exhibit dual tension in high-end computing chips and conventional memory chips, resulting in automotive-specific DRAM supply potentially below 50 percent. Some automakers have issued warnings. Against this backdrop, localization substitution will accelerate. In China, for example, automotive-grade chip domestic supply proportion is projected to increase from 9 percent in 2024 to 25 percent in 2026, though high-end chips will remain import-dependent. Supply chain diversification has become survival principle. Core supply chain management logic shifts from “cost optimization” toward “resilience priority.”

• 6.  Ecosystem Paradigm Iteration:
  Reconfiguration from Mobility Tool Toward Mobile Ecosystem Core

  The automotive industry's value logic is undergoing fundamental evolution. Vehicles function not merely as mobility carriers but as mobile ecosystem cores deeply integrated into user life and connecting diverse scenarios. This transformation drives automaker role upgrading from “product manufacturer” toward “ecosystem operator.” Brand value growth pathways expand from single sales orientation toward full-chain user experience and cross-domain service enablement.

  Digitalization and user co-creation are cultivating new automotive life ecosystems. BYD and Mercedes-Benz directly drive product awareness conversion through user community operations on Weibo, TikTok, and similar platforms. BMW's “In China, for China” development teams engineer long-wheelbase models addressing local requirements. Volkswagen collaborates with XPeng developing mid-tier battery electric models. “Localized, digitalized co-creation” has become foundational to brand value growth. Automobiles are integrating into diverse daily life scenarios, constructing sustainable development ecosystems.

  Simultaneously, automobiles are becoming intelligent nodes connecting mobility, entertainment, work, energy, and other scenarios. As mobile spaces, vehicles continuously expand service boundaries, from content ecosystems within intelligent cockpits and vehicle-home connectivity, to V2G bidirectional charging participating in energy networks, to context-aware service recommendations based on geographic location. Automobiles gradually evolve into composite entities functioning as “intelligent decision terminals plus mobile service platforms plus social connection carriers.”

  Throughout this process, brand communication shifts from unidirectional messaging toward ecosystem narrative. Automakers construct open platforms, integrate third-party services, and expand peripheral ecosystem derivatives, embedding brands within multidimensional scenarios of users' daily lives, forming sustainable emotional connections and value circulation. Ecosystem capabilities not only strengthen user stickiness but extend into new profit models including software subscriptions, data services, and ecosystem partnerships, driving automotive industry business model iteration from “one-time delivery” toward “continuous operations.” Automotive ecosystem competition will concentrate on scenario integration capability, data flow efficiency, and open collaboration levels. This will become the defining metric for long-term brand value.

  The global automotive industry is exhibiting four converging trends: brand value reconfiguration, deeper integration of sustainability into commercial strategy, expansion of digital ecosystems, and the elevation of technical thinking. As electrification and intelligent transformation continue, automotive brands are navigating these shifts through multi-pathway technology strategies, low-carbon operations, evolving user engagement models, and increasingly localised market approaches. Long-term brand value will depend on how effectively these dimensions are balanced within a changing global competitive environment.