AI adoption across the automotive value chain to jump from 47% to 72% by 2030, PwC says

PwC's inaugural Global Automotive Outlook, launched on 24 September 2026 in London, projects that the share of automotive companies using AI and other advanced technologies will rise from 47% today to 72% in 2030. The findings cover manufacturing, R&D, supply chains, sales and corporate functions. The research is based on a survey of 720 automotive executives across 33 countries and territories, conducted in Spring 2026, with detailed analysis on China, Germany, India, Japan and the United States. It identifies three archetypes shaping the sector: inward-looking industrialists, growth-orientated diversifiers and product-focused digitisers. PwC says the growing technology focus comes as rising competition, new customer bases and electrification re-shape consumer expectations and digital-first, software-enabled vehicles become core to the mobility experience.

Investment remains tilted toward efficiency today: 76% of companies say they allocate capital to their highest-return initiatives, 73% say their manufacturing and operations investments are primarily aimed at productivity and efficiency, and just 12% say those investments primarily target growth and increasing market share. Capability gaps add to the challenge, with half (51%) citing talent shortages and 45% citing current workforce skills among the biggest barriers, while AI and software engineering are named as the most critical capabilities. Automotive companies also expect technology companies to displace industrial manufacturers as their most important collaborators over the next five years, and the share of OEMs rating autonomous driving and advanced driver assistance systems as a top-three revenue source rises from 9% today to 24% in 2030.

Geographies of growth are shifting: only 26% of respondents cite Western Europe as a top-three growth market over the next five years, down from 44% today, while South Asia is projected to see the greatest growth, rising from 24% to 45%, and Southeast Asia from 31% to 44%. The customer base is changing too - respondents expect 33% of revenue to come from new customers within five years, such as commercial fleet operators, mobility service providers and governments, up from 21% today. Almost half (46%) view entrants from adjacent industries, especially technology and energy, as a key source of competition over the next five years.