Auto Executives Expect China to Host 6 of Top 10 OEMs by 2035
Berlin – October 29, 2026 -- Fifty-one percent of automotive executives expect software and digital technologies to become their company's most important competitive differentiator by 2035, according to the 26th KPMG Global Automotive Executive Survey. The study polled 775 executives worldwide.
Execution lags ambition. Only 36% of AI and software initiatives have been scaled beyond the pilot phase on average, and 92% of companies need at least twelve months to roll out a new AI, digital or software solution enterprise-wide. More than one-third need over two years.
China expected to dominate the global top 10 by 2035
Forty-eight percent of respondents expect six of the world's ten largest automakers to be headquartered in China by 2035. KPMG's analysis cites China's growing capabilities in electrification, software and digital innovation.