{"id":16524,"date":"2026-09-25T09:31:07","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T09:31:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/outsourcing-today.ro\/?p=16524"},"modified":"2026-09-25T09:31:08","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T09:31:08","slug":"pwc-ai-adoption-across-automotive-value-chain-to-surge-as-sector-grapples-with-rising-competition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/outsourcing-today.ro\/?p=16524","title":{"rendered":"PwC: AI adoption across automotive value chain to surge as sector grapples with rising competition"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul><li><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">AI and advanced technology adoption across the automotive value chain to surge \u2013 from 47% of companies using them today to 72% in 2030<\/span><\/strong><\/li><li><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Almost half (46%) of automotive executives identify new entrants from adjacent industries, such as technology and energy, as a key source of competition over the next five years<\/span><\/strong><\/li><li><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Almost two-thirds (64%) are pursuing ecosystem participation as technology re-shapes the mobility experience \u2013 rising to 80% among the top 20% of \u2018future-fit\u2019 automotives<\/span><\/strong><\/li><li><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Battery electric vehicles are expected to grow from 18% to 30% of production volume over the next five years \u2013 while traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) share is expected to fall from 60% to 41%<\/span><\/strong><\/li><li><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Respondents expect 33% of revenue to come from new customers within five years \u2013 such as commercial fleet operators, mobility service providers, and governments<\/span><\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The use of AI and other advanced technologies across the automotive value chain is expected to surge over the next five years, with the proportion of companies using them rising from 47% today to 72% in 2030, according to PwC\u2019s inaugural Global Automotive Outlook, launched today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the same time, more than half (51%) see AI as one of the most important technologies for achieving their strategic goals, more than the two-fifths (41%) who cite battery and electric powertrains. More than one-third (39%) cite in-vehicle software connectivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This growing focus on technology \u2013 across manufacturing, R&amp;D, supply chains, sales and corporate functions \u2013 comes as rising competition, new customer bases and electrification in the sector re-shapes consumer expectations and as digital-first, software-enabled vehicles become core to the mobility experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">\u201cThe vehicle is no longer defined by the steel that leaves the factory \u2013 it is increasingly being defined by software, digital services and data analytics. As the sector faces increased competition and technology re-shapes the mobility experience, automotive makers must be putting their digital strategies front-and-centre if they are to unlock growth.\u201d &#8211; Harald Wimmer,Global Automotive Leader, PwC Germany<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Almost half (46%) view entrants from adjacent industries \u2013 especially technology and energy \u2013 as a key source of competition over the next five years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the research finds a significant divide in how companies are positioned to respond: four-fifths (80%) of \u2018future-fit\u2019 automotives identified in PwC\u2019s analysis report a high tolerance for strategic risk-taking, compared with less than half (49%) of other companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u2018Future-fit\u2019 companies show greater appetite for strategic risk and growth<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As automotive companies face increased competitive pressure, almost two-thirds (64%) are pursuing ecosystem participation \u2013 the most frequently cited strategic move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Among the top 20% of &#8216;future-fit&#8217; companies identified in PwC&#8217;s research, this rises to 80%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Much of that ecosystem focus will be around technology. Automotive companies expect technology companies to displace industrial manufacturers as their most important collaborators over the next five years. The proportion of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) rating autonomous driving and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) as a top-three revenue source rises from 9% today to 24% in 2030.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8216;Future-fit&#8217; automotive companies are also more likely to report highly developed software engineering and AI capabilities (71% vs. 45%), to be expanding into new customer segments (86% vs. 71%), to have a high tolerance for strategic risk-taking (80% vs. 49%), and to be expanding into offerings beyond automotive (72% vs. 45%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet the findings point to a tension between investing for today&#8217;s returns and funding tomorrow&#8217;s growth. While 76% of companies say they allocate capital to the highest-return initiatives, 73% say their manufacturing and operations investments are primarily aimed at productivity and efficiency. Just 12% say those investments are primarily aimed at growth and increasing market share.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Capability gaps add to the challenge. Half (51%) cite talent shortages and 45% cite current workforce skills among the biggest barriers to creating, delivering and capturing value, while AI and software engineering are among the capabilities respondents identify as most critical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Electric vehicle production to swell as new growth markets emerge<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Electric vehicle production is expected to swell \u2013 with battery electric vehicles (BEV) expected to grow from an average of 18% of production volume to 30% within five years. Traditional internal combustion engines (ICE) are projected to fall from 60% to 41%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In China, the shift is far sharper \u2013 battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are expected to rise to 40% (up from 29%), while ICE falls to 29% (from 43%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the consumer landscape shifts, geography is also rapidly transforming where automotive companies are projected to see the most growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Less than one-third (26%) cite Western Europe as a top three growth market over the next five years (down from 44% today), while South Asia and Southeast Asia are projected to see the greatest growth \u2013 rising from 24% to 45%, and 31% to 44%, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the same time, the traditional consumer is shifting. Respondents expect 33% of revenue to come from new customers within five years \u2013 such as commercial fleet operators, mobility service providers, and governments \u2013 up from 21% today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Future-proofing automotive companies for the mobility age<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For automotive companies to future-proof their businesses for the mobility age, the report suggests they should:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>Reframe the strategic question from sector to domain \u2013 companies that continue to define themselves as vehicle manufacturers will be left behind.<\/li><li>Become active participants in ecosystems \u2013 being embedded in an ecosystem is the fastest way to leverage cross-sector insight and expertise.<\/li><li>Shift capital allocation logic from returns to options \u2013 \u2018future-fit\u2019 companies fund specific bets whose ROI is not yet visible while incumbents must build the new business while winding down the old.<\/li><li>Think more like a technology company \u2013 automotives must look beyond the core product to the wider mobility experience.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">\u201cAutomotive executives understand the disruption underway \u2013 from software to AI to energy \u2013 but their ability to act decisively is constrained by governance rooted in legacy priorities. To succeed, automakers must evolve their governance to balance capital discipline with the agility and strategic options needed to fund the next wave of innovation.\u201d &#8211; <strong>Harald Wimmer,Global Automotive Leader, PwC Germany.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>article source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwc.com\/gx\/en\/news-room\/press-releases\/2026\/automotive-ai-adoption-surge.html\">AI adoption across automotive value chain to surge as sector grapples with rising competition: PwC<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>AI and advanced technology adoption across the automotive value chain to surge \u2013 from 47% of companies using them today to 72% in 2030 Almost half (46%) of automotive executives identify new entrants from adjacent industries, such as technology and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16526,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[7,4,19,18,12,3,5,17,317],"tags":[136],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/outsourcing-today.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16524"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/outsourcing-today.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/outsourcing-today.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outsourcing-today.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outsourcing-today.ro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16524"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/outsourcing-today.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16524\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16527,"href":"https:\/\/outsourcing-today.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16524\/revisions\/16527"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outsourcing-today.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/16526"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/outsourcing-today.ro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16524"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outsourcing-today.ro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16524"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outsourcing-today.ro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16524"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}