The current automotive sector is constantly changing, in the last few years being influenced by various factors even more than before. Both companies growing according to the new business models, and already existing ones are forced to adapt to the intensely changing conditions.
How do technological innovations, economic and geopolitical situations influence automotive manufacturers nowadays? What tendencies do they result in, and what will the car market trends in 2023 look like? Let's take a look at the most significant aspects below.
Table of contents
The top 5 automotive industry trends that we will discuss are:
- Autonomous vehicles
- Electric vehicles – green technology
- Electric car sales vs. client's expectations
- Shared mobility solutions
- Mobility services tailored to your needs
Top five automotive industry trends
When your car knows better than you
One of the most electrifying automotive trends for upcoming months concerns connected vehicles. Many car companies decide to launch vehicles equipped with an automatic car wear monitoring system.
Human intervention will become a lot less necessary because it's the vehicle itself that will constantly be informing the dealer about the fuel consumption, mileage, as well as potential damages, or the upcoming date of car inspection.
More and more technology companies have already started the implementation of this solution for their cars, so fleet management becomes easier for both – private car owners and business owners.
The data collected from starting the engine until reaching the last spot will then be used by engineers and the whole automobile industry to improve driving comfort, efficiency, and safety.
Autonomous vehicles
Another change that is more and more visible on the streets today is autonomous driving. Car manufacturers have already realized that driving a vehicle can be easier and more comfortable than ever. Continuously improved machine learning solutions let us create self-driving cars that minimize the driver's obligation to focus on the road. New technologies have already resulted in cars being equipped with parking sensors, parking assistants, traffic congestion detectors, GPS, and more emerging technologies, to satisfy even the most challenging consumer preferences.
You may say that artificial intelligence will never fully replace men, but it's just about looking at the Japanese streets to realize that more and more new cars have advanced driver assistance systems. This technological innovation does not fully relieve drivers of the need to stay vigilant on the road, of course, but it may positively affect the traffic flow and improve the security level by eliminating the risk of human distraction.
Electric vehicles – green technology
Many of today's new vehicles are hybrid cars equipped with both an electric battery and an electric engine. Some of them are fully electric. Following the development of the green technology trend, we can see that in recent years the number of eco-friendly smart cities has increased, changing their car entry rules. Touristic spots like Berlin or Amsterdam have already banned diesel cars, with an emphasis on the electric cars sector development at the same time.
What has been difficult and extraordinary 20 or 30 years ago today can be easily watched in the TV car commercials. Electric, fully green vehicles have already joined electric scooters, improving the air and life quality even in the busiest city centers. While hybrid vehicles enable their owners to decide if they prefer to drive using an electric battery or a traditional engine, a totally electric vehicle brings the second option away from the driver.
Electric car sales vs. client's expectations
Even if the interest in electric automobility increases, potential car owners still have very specific expectations regarding this branch of the automotive market.
The automotive trends report "2023 Global Automotive Consumer Study" created by Deloitte shows that 82% of the respondents are looking for a car that costs no more than 150.000 PLN. The report also proves that one of the crucial aspects while buying a perfect EV is the distance that can be driven after a single charge. More than half (60%) of the asked people answered that their perfect electric car would have a range of over 400 km.
Shared mobility solutions
Another automotive trend predicted for 2023 is shared vehicles. Technology development is going hand in hand with the increase in environmental awareness of car users. As a result, many companies are looking for alternative solutions that would support them in decreasing costs, using modern charging infrastructure, and reducing emissions of gases. These new requirements mean new challenges for the automotive original equipment manufacturers who need to adjust to the current trends.
Today, car ownership starts being less valuable than just the possibility of moving on, and that's why the shared mobility concept is growing so rapidly. Research conducted by Euromonitor International and published in the "Top Three Automotive and Mobility Trends in 2023" shows that in 2023, the car-sharing market value is predicted to increase by 4.3%. Many car rental firms also plan to include MaaS (Mobility as a Service) in their operations.
On the other hand, an international economic crisis made a lot of companies limit costs and re-evaluate their enterprise models. Some businesses will probably be forced to close, and some signs of this trend have already been visible at the end of 2022. That's when Volkswagen sold its WeShare car-sharing service to Berlin-based Miles.
Mobility services tailored to your needs
Do you remember James Bond's adventures and one of its main characters – Q? His main task was to create a car that will enable Agent 007 to defeat the malefactors without losing his elegance. Bond's machines are always equipped with plenty of solutions designed to his very own needs. What used to be a dream some time ago, today seems to become everyday.
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The automotive manufacturing branch is more and more focused on delivering vehicles adapted to the individual client's needs and requirements. A new vehicle is something more than just a machine. It's an answer to the car owner's dream of new technology being at their fingertips.
Key automotive players focus on personalization
New sales trends indicate that nowadays, customers demand personalization also if talking about the automotive market. After fashion, cosmetics, and other industries, today also, automotive parts need to be tailored to specific users.
The current report by McKinsey & Co. shows that nearly 80% of clients feel frustrated if they don't get the custom-made solutions they expect.
This change started during the pandemic when there was a shortage of spare parts, which made clients wait for their already-ordered vehicles a bit longer than usual. It used to be irritating at the beginning, but today many car owners-to-be are ready to wait a bit longer to receive the machine with all the technologies they want.
Summary – the more technology, the better?
In theory, all of the trends mentioned in the article are created to facilitate the everyday life of vehicle owners. Connected cars enable to control the entire company from anywhere in the world. This trend seems to take transport services to a new, higher level.
Cars that are allowed to connect automatically with their dealers or even emergency services improve drivers' safety without a doubt. A few days ago, one of the Polish news websites reported that a drunk driver hit the road sign on the highway and tried to run away. Before he did, the automatic system in his car called the police.
AI, EV – future mobility
Despite the general stagnation and economic crisis, the automotive market worldwide seems to develop. Even if its pace is slowing down and it won't significantly increase in 2023, clients will still be interested in changing cars and looking for modern solutions. As a result, luxury brands like Tesla will probably keep investing in AI technologies that will make their machines smarter than ever. Many companies like BMW have already announced plans regarding wireless connection and other amenities for drivers and passengers.
Also, EVs will most probably be more and more visible on the streets, which is already visible in Asia. The already mentioned Euromonitor International said that in 2023 19% of all the registered passenger cars in the world will be electric. Clean mobility seems to be something much more than just a short-lived trend.
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