Automotive industry by country

This article provides an overview of the automotive industry in countries around the world.

The United States was the world's largest automobile producer by volume from the early years of the 20th century until the 1980s, when it was overtaken by Japan. In 2009, China became the world's largest vehicle producer.

Africa

Algeria

in 2014 a Partnership between Daimler and the Ministry of Defense for the manufacture of trucks and armored cars will produce 18,000 Mercedes units annually in accordance with international quality standards applied by Mercedes at its plants around the world, while the rest of the quota will be owned by the German companies specialized in mechanical industries (MAN and Ferrostaa). The same standards will be applied in both Tiaret, which will produce 10.000 G-Class SUVs and utility wagons of average size annually, while the production site of engines in Constantine will produce 26,000 water cooled engines by licenses production for the Marks Meto - Deutz - Daimler respectively, to prepare the cars and industrial machinery, agricultural machines, and machines of public works, as the production will be launched in 2014.

The National company of industrial vehicles (SNVI) in Rouiba, as part of an Algerian-German-Emirati investment project five truck models to be assembled on the same industrial site namely Actros, Atego, Axor and Unimog in addition to other bus models will reach some 15,000 trucks and 1,500 buses in 2018 and 2019.

In October 2015 Iran Khodro group intends to establish a car assembly plant in Algeria located 300 km from Algiers, will produce 30,000 cars / year, three options open to the group for that and they will have to choose between relocation of Senegalese assembly line which is the first option, that of Bardo (pick-up), and that of the establishment of a new chain.

In December 2015 an agreement signed with an Algerian company and the Iranian auto making group Saipa will produce X100, Tiba I and II, Saina and Pride in the country as of mid 2016.

Emin Auto, an Algerian-Turkish society, including representatives of several Chinese vehicle brands, should sign the project to build an assembly line of commercial vehicles in Ain Temouchent Thursday, January 7, 2016.
The project is in partnership with the Chinese Jianghuaa Automobile Corporation JAC Motors and Emin Auto. This project will be located in the new industrial zone Tamazoura, (Ain Temouchent) over an area of . This assembly unit will generate 270 job positions at first to move to 450 jobs during its fifth year of production.

The plant is expected to produce 10,000 trucks a year, a volume that will be raised, in the 10th year some 100 000 vehicles / year.

Truck industry also has a ration in the market Renault Trucks, a subsidiary of the Volvo Group and the Algerian group BSF Souakri signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the creation of a vehicle assembly plant in Algeria, which will be based in Meftah, Blida. The vehicles brands Volvo group will be assembled in this unit, This plant has the potential to become an important element in the global network of Iveco. The group's president, Pierre Lahutte, said that the company has an international development model based on partnership, like with Ival in Algeria. Moreover, the country represents 13% of group sales in Africa.

Toyota Algeria announced three projects in the assembly and manufacture of spare parts.
The first project relates to the study launch an assembly line of heavyweights Hino brand, with a capacity of 2,000 trucks per year. The plant will produce light truck tonnage, the Hino 300 series.

For the second project, it is a Toyota vehicle assembly possibility in Algeria. The Algerian representative of the Japanese giant, in collaboration with Toyota Motor Corporation, account and conduct a study on the Algerian automobile market "to identify patterns that could be assembled locally."
Toyota Algeria also announced the launch of a production unit of brake pads and brake shoes, with a medium-term capacity of 200,000 units to 300,000 units respectively.

Egypt

The beginnings of the Egyptian automotive industry date back to 1960. During the socialist era, the government pledged to transform the country from an agricultural economy to an industrial one, and the first completely Egyptian car was produced. The car soon went out of production, as it was unable to compete with foreign brands, especially following the end of socialism and the move toward a more liberal market. It was not until 1985 that automotive giant, General Motors (GM), set up its first assembly plant in Egypt, revolutionizing the industry.

In the more than two dozens years since, the Egyptian automotive assembly business has grown from just three plants relying on mostly imported components, to 16 businesses with 26 assembly lines, manufacturing now near 100,000 units annually of passenger cars, light commercial vehicles, trucks, and buses, as well as 300 factories that produce most automotive components (IDA's Vision for the Automotive Industry Report). Besides GM, giants such as BYD, BMW, Nissan, Hyundai, and Daewoo produce a majority of the models in their product lines in their factories in Egypt. In fact, the BMW assembly line in Egypt is the only factory outside Germany where the BMW 7 Series is produced.

But it was not until 2004 that the Egyptian automotive market began to expand exponentially, along with the local production of both assembled cars and components. The total production market in Egypt consisted of only 49,335 vehicles in 2004. This figure rose to 116,683 vehicles in 2010; a 136% increase. However, due to the political changes starting in 2011, production was down over 31% in 2012. In 2013, Egypt was the third largest car-producing market in Africa, after South Africa and Morocco.

Ghana

The current government's policies on automobiles is very attractive, inviting companies such as Toyota, VW, Nissan just to mention few. It is anticipated that Ghana will be one of the fastest growing automobile industries in Africa in the next 5 years.

Kenya

The Automotive industry in Kenya is primarily involved in the assembly, retail and distribution of motor vehicles. There are a number of motor vehicle dealers operating in the country, with the most established being:

Major Retailers:
Toyota East Africa/Toyota Kenya Ltd, Cooper Motor Corporation, General Motors East Africa (GMEA), Simba Colt and DT Dobie.

Major Assemblers:
Associated Vehicle Assemblers Ltd (AVA), Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers (KVM), General Motors East Africa (GMEA) and Honda Motorcycle Kenya Ltd

Kenya is currently attempting to completely build its own cars. After building its first car in the late '80s, the Nyayo Car, Kenya has a shot at the industry with Mobius Motors, which was founded in 2009.

Nigeria

Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Co. Ltd., shortened as IVM, is a Nigerian automobile and bus manufacturing company. It was founded by Chief Innocent Chukwuma Nwala, and runs a plant in Nnewi in the state of Anambra.Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing is nicknamed Pride Of African Road.
70% of the car parts are produced locally, while the rest is sourced from Japan, China, and Germany.

Innoson Vehicles is the first made in Nigeria vehicle.
Nnewi, the city where the company is located is nicknamed 'The Japan of Africa' and it's also known as the Automobile hub of Africa due to the great feat the city has achieved in the Automotive industry since 1970's.

Morocco

Morocco has already overtaken South Africa as the continent's automotive hub and is soon expected to produce more cars a year than Italy. The kingdom is also becoming a major supplier for European auto factories, including Ford Motor Co.'s high-tech plant in Valencia, Spain, which imports car seats, interiors, wiring and other components from Morocco.

A new factory having an auto assembly capability of nearly 400,000 vehicles annually was opened by Renault in February 2012 in Tangier. It will mainly produce cars for the European market. Before 2012, the only other assembly plant in Morocco was the Renault factory in Casablanca.

BYD signed an agreement on December 9, 2017 to open a factory near the Moroccan city of Tangiers to build battery-powered vehicles. BYD will become the third car manufacturer to build cars in the North African state.

Another factory by PSA Peugeot-Citroën, is expected to start production by 2019, with a starting capacity of 90 000 cars/year and a 200 000 cars/year in the future. The main specificity of this factory is the introduction of car engines production for the first time to the country.

South Africa

South Africa is traditionally the leader in Africa of the automotive industry and now produces more than half a million annually of all types of automobiles. While domestic development of trucks and military vehicles exists, cars built under license of foreign brands are the mainstay.

Tunisia

Industries Mécaniques Maghrébines is a Tunisian car manufacturer headquartered in the city of Kairouan. The company was founded in 1982 and closed for the first time in 1988; the plant was reopened in 1991. Since then, the manufacturer has formed subsidiaries to distribute its vehicles in Carthage, Tunis and Oued Smar, Algeria.

The company is a joint-venture between the General Motors Company (20 per cent), Isuzu Motors Ltd. (10 per cent) and the locomotive builder General Motors du Tunisie S.A. (70 per cent). The latter provides the staff for the company.

Wallyscar is a Tunisian car manufacturer, founded in 2006 and based in Ben Arous. Production is 600 units per year.

Americas

Argentina

Argentina has a long history of auto manufacturing, almost entirely focused on the manufacture of foreign designed vehicles. They produced 100,000 units (12th in the world) in 1960, 200,000 in 1970, 300,000 in 1980, then decreased to 100,000 in 1990 due to a deep economic crisis. A restoration had occurred by the middle of the 2000s and then significant growth boosted annual production to more than 800,000 units (3rd place in Latin America—after Brazil and Mexico, and 20th in the world).

The Argentinian industry is regulated by the Asociación De Fabricantes de Automotores (Adefa), created in 1960, which includes makers of automobiles, light vehicles, trucks and buses.
Adefa is part of the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles (OICA), based in Paris. Some global companies are present in Argentina such as BYD, Fiat, Volkswagen Group, Ford, Iveco, General Motors, Nissan Motors, Toyota, Scania, Mercedes-Benz, Renault, Honda, PSA (Peugeot-Citroen), etc., and also some national companies such as Materfer, TAT S.A., Helvética, Crespi, PurSang, etc. The last have produced replicas of classic cars equipped with modern technology.

Brazil

The Brazilian automotive industry was similar in size to the industries in Mexico and Argentina until 1960. It then had two spikes in growth and became a regional leader and even a world leader. By the end of the 1970s, annual production exceeded one million units, making it the 10th largest automotive manufacturer in the world. After some decreases around 1990, a new period of growth has allowed Brazil to surpass traditional automotive leaders (e.g. Belgium, the United Kingdom, Italy, Canada, Russia, Spain, France) in terms of annual production (nearly 3.5 million vehicles per year, 7th largest in the world).

The Brazilian industry is regulated by the Associação Nacional dos Fabricantes de Veículos Automotores (Anfavea), created in 1956, which includes makers of automobiles, light vehicles, trucks and buses, and agriculture machines with factories in Brazil. Anfavea is part of the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles (OICA), based in Paris. Most large global automakers have a presence in Brazil, including BYD, Fiat, Volkswagen Group, Ford, General Motors, Nissan Motors, Toyota, MAN SE, Mitsubishi, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, DAF, Iveco, Renault, Honda, Hyundai, Audi, BMW, Peugeot, Citroen, Kia, Suzuki, SsangYong, JAC Motors, Chery, etc. Brazil also has a number of emerging national companies such as CAOA Chery, Troller, Marcopolo S.A., Agrale, Randon S.A., Excalibur, TAC, Lobini, etc., some of which have produced replicas of classic cars upgraded with modern technology. In the past there were national brands such as FNM (Fabrica Nacional de Motores), DKW Vemag and Gurgel, Puma Veículos e Motores Ltda.

Canada

Canada is currently the 11th largest auto producer in the World with 2.1 million annual output, down from 7th place with 3 million peak a few years ago. China, Spain, India, Brazil, Mexico recently surpassed Canadian production for the first time ever. Canada's highest rankings ever was 2nd largest producer in the World between 1918 and 1923 and 3rd after WWII.

The Canadian auto industry traces its roots to the very beginning of the automobile. The first large-scale production of automobiles in Canada took place in Walkerville, near Windsor, Ontario in 1904. In the first year of operations, Gordon McGregor and Wallace Campbell, along with a handful of workmen produced 117 Model "C" Ford vehicles at the Walkerville Wagon Works factory.

Through marques such as Brooks Steam, Redpath, Tudhope, McKay, Galt Gas-Electric, Gray-Dort, Brockville Atlas, C.C.M., and McLaughlin, Canada had many domestic auto brands. In 1918 McLaughlin was bought by an American firm, General Motors, and was re-branded as General Motors of Canada.
Driven by the demands of World War I, Canada's automotive industry had grown, by 1923, into the second-largest in the world, although it was still made up of relatively inefficient plants producing many models behind a high tariff wall. High consumer prices and production inefficiencies characterized the Canadian auto industry prior to the signing of the 1965 Automotive Products Trade Agreement with the United States.

The 1964 Automotive Products Trade Agreement or "Auto Pact" represents the single most important factor in making the Canadian automotive industry what it is today. Key features of the Auto Pact were the 1:1 production to sales ratio and Canadian Value Added requirements.

Magna International is Canada's biggest domestic firm in the sector, and is the world's third-largest auto parts firm, producing entire vehicles at its Magna Steyr plant in Austria.

Colombia

Automotive manufacturing in Colombia had achieved an output of more than 100,000 vehicles per year in 2005, but their output in the past few years has been reduced by about 30,000 vehicles per year. Surprisingly, it has seen an incremental increase from the year 2008 and onwards, principally attributable to increased export rates to other Latin American countries from one major factory: Sofasa. This factory assembles Renault cars for markets like Mexico, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador.

Ecuador

The automotive industry in Ecuador is small, with an annual production 20–40 thousand units. Manufacturers like GM Ómnibus (producing the Chevrolet Aveo or the Chevrolet Sail) or AYMESA (producing the Kia Rio) exist.

Mexico

The Mexican automotive industry mostly consists of foreign assembly plants. The earliest ones were established by American companies, then various European and Japanese manufacturers followed. More units of the original Volkswagen Beetle, in production in Puebla from 1955 to 2003, were built in Mexico than anywhere else. Mexican production increased rapidly in the 1990s, because of NAFTA, which led to many American, European, and Japanese manufacturers to move the production of many of their USA-market and Canadian-market models to Mexico, putting Mexico at 6th place in the world in terms of units produced. The only current domestic Mexican automobile manufacturers are VUHL, Zacua and DINA, both of which source their engines from foreign manufacturers.

United States

The American automobile industry began in the 1890s and rapidly evolved into the largest automotive producer in the World through the use of mass-production. The industry began with hundreds of manufacturers, but by the end of the 1920s it became dominated by three large companies - General Motors, Ford and Chrysler. After the Great Depression and World War II, these companies continued to prosper and the US produced near 3/4 of all automobiles in the world at 1950. However, after record of production near 15 million in some 1970s years, at the beginning and middle of that decade, a combination of high oil prices, increased competition from foreign auto manufacturers, and increasing government regulation severely affected the companies. In the 1980s–1990s US auto power was overtaken by rapidly growing Japanese auto industry but in the 21st century both of them are balanced and now are the second largest in the World (after China) with annual production of 8–10 million. In the ensuing years, the companies periodically bounced back, but by 2008 the industry was in turmoil. As a result, General Motors and Chrysler filed bankruptcy reorganization and were bailed out with loans and investments from the federal government. Chrysler later merged into Fiat as Fiat Chrysler and is today a part of the multinational Stellantis group. American electric automaker Tesla emerged onto the scene in 2009 and has since grown to be one of the world's most valuable companies, producing around 1/4th of the world's fully-electric passenger cars.

Uruguay

The Uruguayan automotive industry has seen development recently thanks to with Chinese manufacturers involvement, with plants such as Nordex (in Montevideo, producing for Geely), SOCMA (currently yielded, in Barra de Carrasco, producing for Chery), or Lifan (producing in San José Department) and Effa Motors. Old models are Grumett and Indio.

Venezuela

Venezuelan automotive manufacturing has the 36th largest output (by units of vehicles) worldwide and the 4th largest in Latin America (after Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina). In the 1970s and 1980s, vehicle production was between 150 and 200 thousand units per year of mainly US-developed vehicles. Chrysler, Ford, Iveco, General Motors, Mitsubishi Motors