Automotive industry: managing transformation effectively
The automotive industry is under considerable pressure to change. New drive technologies, volatile sales markets, rising costs, software-based vehicle architectures and stricter regulatory requirements are changing the rules of the game in the automotive sector. At the same time, Germany remains a key market for the automotive industry: as of 1 January 2026, 49.5 million passenger cars were registered here, including 2.03 million electric cars. Battery electric vehicles recently achieved a 19.1 per cent share of new car registrations.
This creates a twofold task for companies in the automotive industry. They have to stabilise existing business models and at the same time tap into new sources of income. Automotive manufacturers, suppliers, retail organisations and mobility providers need resilient strategies, efficient structures and a clear understanding of where investments have an impact.
Automotive as a strategic transformation topic
The automotive industry encompasses far more than just vehicle production. It combines industrial value creation, global supply chains, software development, financing, sales, after sales and increasingly data-based services. To remain successful in this environment, decisions regarding platforms, locations, partnerships and capital allocation must be more closely interlinked.
We support automotive companies in making their transformation manageable. Our approach combines industry expertise with performance & strategy competence and targeted strategy consulting for the automotive industry: We analyse markets, business models, cost structures and operational capabilities and derive priorities that make management decisions resilient.
Safeguarding performance, realigning strategy
Many companies in the automotive industry are faced with the question of how to safeguard profitability without putting the brakes on necessary future investments. This balance is particularly challenging when it comes to electrification, software-defined vehicles, battery value creation, new sales models and global production networks.
We support you in the development and implementation of strategic target images. This includes portfolio evaluations, market and competition analyses, location strategies, efficiency programmes, strategy consulting and operating model designs. It is crucial that strategy does not remain abstract. It must be translated into organisation, control logic, investment decisions and measurable performance.
We Deliver Performance To Your Strategy
An effective automotive consulting perspective starts with the business model. Which products and services will contribute to future results? What depth of value creation makes sense? Which partnerships strengthen technology access, scaling or market proximity? And which cost items need to be structurally adjusted?
Our management consultancy and strategy consulting services focus precisely on these interfaces. We not only look at individual projects, but also at the impact on the company as a whole. This results in programmes that bring together transformation, efficiency and growth - with a clear focus on profit contribution, feasibility and governance.
Central fields of action for the automotive industry
Business model and market positioning
We provide support in the evaluation of existing and new business models in the automotive industry and automotive sector. These include product portfolios, mobility offerings, digital services, fleet models and international market entry strategies.
Costs, performance and organisation
Increasing investments put pressure on margins. We help automotive manufacturers, suppliers and other market participants to make cost structures transparent, prioritise efficiency potential and align organisations so that decisions can be made more quickly and reliably.
Data, software and digital value creation
Vehicles are increasingly becoming digital platforms. As a result, data strategy, software expertise, cyber security, IT architecture and digital customer interfaces are becoming increasingly important. We support the development of sustainable structures and management models for car manufacturers and other companies in the automotive industry.
ESG, regulation and resilience
Decarbonisation, supply chain transparency, sustainability reporting and the circular economy shape investment and location decisions. We help to translate regulatory requirements into controllable processes and combine ESG goals with operational performance.
Transactions and partnerships
Cooperations, joint ventures, carve-outs and M&A activities can accelerate transformation. We assist with valuations, due diligence, integration planning and the strategic categorisation of transactions in the automotive industry.
Our mission: Guidance for effective decisions
The KPMG Global Automotive Executive Survey regularly shows the extent to which priorities are shifting in the automotive market. For decision-makers, this means that strategic assumptions need to be reviewed more frequently and linked more consistently with operational data.
We bring together industry understanding, strategy consulting, functional expertise and international experience. We support you in reducing complexity, evaluating options for action and setting up effective programmes. In doing so, we work closely with management, specialist departments and international teams.
Ready for the next step?
Whether strategic realignment, performance programme, ESG management, location decision or data-driven business model: we are happy to support you in actively shaping the transformation of the automotive industry. Feel free to contact us.
