Automotive marktonderzoek en autoklinieken

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The automotive market is undergoing four simultaneous transitions: powertrain, software, retail, and ownership. Winners are treating them as one integrated commercial question, not four engineering programs.

That reframing is what separates OEMs gaining share from those defending it. Automotive market research is no longer a validation exercise for product plans already approved. It is the primary tool executives use to sequence billion-dollar bets across battery chemistry, ADAS tiers, dealer footprint, and data platforms. The firms compounding advantage right now share a specific analytical posture, and it is visible in how they scope their questions.

What Is Automotive Market Research and Why Is It Important?

Automotive market research is not merely about counting the number of cars sold or identifying the season’s most popular color. It’s a multidimensional approach that seeks to understand the nuances of consumer preferences, market dynamics, competitive landscapes, and emerging technological shifts.

It provides organizations with the insight and data to conceptualize, manufacture, and customize vehicles to their customers’ desires and perceptions. Research also guides the development of new advertisements, messaging, and marketing materials. As new technologies are increasingly included in vehicle products, innovation is an essential priority for many car manufacturers and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).

Why Automotive Market Research Now Drives Capital Allocation, Not Just Product Planning

Historically, automotive research answered “what should this vehicle look like.” The strategic question has shifted to “where should the next dollar of capex go.” Battery gigafactory commitments, software-defined vehicle platforms, and dealer consolidation each carry ten-year payback horizons and non-recoverable commitments.

That has moved market intelligence upstream. Product clinics still matter, but the higher-value work now sits at the portfolio level: cross-region powertrain mix modeling, ADAS feature willingness-to-pay by segment, and connected services attach-rate forecasts. 

SIS International Research engagements across European and Asia-Pacific OEMs indicate the most disciplined players are running quarterly powertrain transition modeling that ties battery cost curves, charging infrastructure density, and residual value assumptions into a single scenario framework rather than treating them as separate forecasts.

The practical consequence is fewer stranded assets. OEMs using integrated scenario modeling have been able to defer or accelerate BEV platform investments by one to two model cycles based on evolving evidence, rather than committing on original launch timelines.

Electric Vehicle Market Analysis Requires Regional, Not Global, Assumptions

The single biggest error in electric vehicle market analysis is applying a global adoption curve to regional P&Ls. China, Norway, Germany, California, and Texas are on entirely different trajectories driven by charging density, incentive structure, grid mix, and consumer segment behavior.

Serious EV market analysis now segments by corridor and use case. Fleet electrification total cost of ownership works in urban last-mile delivery well before it works in long-haul. Retail BEV adoption in Germany is being paced by home-charging access in multi-family housing, not vehicle price. In the US, the gap between coastal early adopters and interior markets is widening, which changes dealer allocation logic entirely.

EV battery chemistry benchmarking has become a commercial exercise, not a technical one. LFP versus NMC versus emerging sodium-ion decisions now hinge on regional raw material exposure, warranty economics, and second-life residual value, all of which require primary intelligence from cell manufacturers, recyclers, and fleet operators. BYD, CATL, LG Energy Solution, and Northvolt are pursuing structurally different chemistry roadmaps, and OEM sourcing strategy has to be built against that reality.

ADAS Adoption Curves Analysis Is Where Margin Is Being Won

ADAS is the clearest example of software-defined margin. Level 2+ features are becoming table stakes. Level 3 conditional automation is where premium OEMs are testing subscription and one-time-unlock pricing models that structurally change vehicle lifetime revenue.

Competitor analysis of Level 3 ADAS features now goes beyond specification comparison. It requires understanding which OEMs have secured regulatory approval in which jurisdictions, how insurance underwriters are pricing liability transfer, and what customers will actually pay for hands-off, eyes-off driving. Mercedes-Benz Drive Pilot, BMW Personal Pilot, and the evolving Tesla FSD positioning each represent different bets on the same underlying question.

SIS International's B2B expert interviews with tier-one suppliers and OEM ADAS program leads across Germany, France, and the UK point to a widening gap between stated consumer interest in autonomy and demonstrated willingness to pay once features are unbundled from the base vehicle price, which has significant implications for how ADAS revenue should be forecast in five-year plans.

Regionale inzichten

Regional insights are crucial in automotive market research, providing valuable perspectives on market dynamics, consumer behavior, and competitive landscapes across different geographic regions. Here are some key regional insights to consider:

Noord-Amerika:

The North American automotive market is characterized by mature markets such as the United States and Canada, where consumer preferences, economic conditions, and regulatory requirements drive automotive sales. In recent years, the region has witnessed growing demand for electric vehicles (EVs), SUVs, and pickup trucks, as well as increasing interest in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and connected car technologies.

Europa:

The European automotive market is characterized by strict emissions regulations, shifting consumer preferences toward electric and hybrid vehicles, and increasing investments in autonomous driving technologies. Additionally, the region has seen a rise in car-sharing and mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) platforms, driven by urbanization trends and sustainability initiatives.

Azië-Pacific:

The Asia-Pacific region is the largest automotive market globally, with countries such as China, Japan, and India driving demand for automobiles due to population growth, urbanization, and rising incomes. In China, the world's largest automotive market, government incentives for electric vehicles and advancements in technology and infrastructure are fueling growth in the electric vehicle segment. In India, increasing urbanization and infrastructure development drive demand for passenger vehicles, while the commercial vehicle segment remains robust due to logistics and transportation needs.

Latijns-Amerika:

Diverse consumer preferences, economic volatility, and regulatory challenges drive the automotive market. Countries such as Brazil and Mexico are key automotive markets in the region, with growing demand for passenger vehicles, light trucks, and commercial vehicles. However, market growth in Latin America is often influenced by currency fluctuations, political instability, and trade policies, requiring businesses to navigate uncertainties and adapt their strategies accordingly.

Connected Vehicle Data Monetization Strategies Are Maturing Beyond Pilots

Every OEM has a connected car data strategy slide. Very few have a P&L. The commercial models that are working share three characteristics: they identify a specific external buyer (insurers, municipalities, fleet managers, mapping providers), they respect emerging data governance regimes including GDPR and the EU Data Act, and they are priced against a substitute rather than against imagined value.

Market research on connected car data monetization has to answer buyer-side questions first. What are commercial fleet operators actually paying for telematics data today, and from whom. What price sensitivity do property and casualty insurers show for real-time driving behavior data versus what they already receive from OBD dongles. What do HD mapping providers pay per vehicle-mile for road condition data. Without those benchmarks, internal monetization models default to top-down TAM estimates that do not survive contact with procurement.

Automotive Dealer Network Optimization in the Agency Model Era

The future of automotive retail is not the death of the dealer. It is the restructuring of the dealer's role. Agency models being tested by Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, and Stellantis brands shift inventory risk and pricing control to the OEM while keeping the dealer as the physical fulfillment and service touchpoint.

Automotive dealer network optimization now requires modeling three variables together: catchment demographics, service revenue potential over a ten-year installed base, and BEV-specific requirements including charging infrastructure and high-voltage technician capacity. Rooftop consolidation makes sense in some markets and destroys share in others, and the difference is measurable through primary research with existing customers on drive-time tolerance and service loyalty.

The Four-Lens Framework for Automotive Portfolio Decisions

Lens	Core Question	Primary Research Method
Powertrain	What mix by region and segment through the late 2020s?	Consumer segmentation, TCO modeling, dealer interviews
Software	What features drive willingness to pay?	Conjoint analysis, feature clinics, subscription testing
Detailhandel	Where does agency win vs franchise?	Dealer interviews, catchment modeling, customer journey mapping
Gegevens	Who pays, how much, for what?	B2B buyer interviews, price benchmarking, use case validation

Bron: SIS International Research

Opportunities in Automotive Market Research

• Data-Driven Personalization: With the explosion of data from connected cars, businesses have an unprecedented opportunity to offer personalized services. Market research enables firms to analyze consumer driving patterns, preferences, and behaviors to craft customized offerings.

• Partnerships with Tech Giants: Partnering with tech giants can be a strategic move as cars transform into mobile tech hubs. Collaborations with companies like Apple, Google, or Amazon can elevate the in-car experience. Insights from automotive market research can help identify the most profitable and sought-after integrations.

• Innovative Financing Options: With a shift away from traditional car ownership towards leasing and subscription models, there's an opening for innovative financing solutions.

• Green Technology Investments: As sustainability becomes paramount, investing in green technologies, from battery developments to lightweight materials, is lucrative. Automotive market research can guide investments by pinpointing technologies with the highest potential ROI.

• Diversification into Mobility Services: Beyond selling cars, there's an opportunity to offer mobility services. Ride-sharing, car-sharing, and e-scooter services are booming in urban areas. This market research can help businesses find the right niche and market segment for expansion.

Challenges of Automotive Market Research for Businesses

• Stringent Regulations: Governments worldwide are setting aggressive emissions, safety, and tech integrations targets. These regulations vary significantly across countries, making global automotive market research complex.

• Supply Chain Disruptions: The automotive supply chain is under strain, from semiconductor shortages to disruptions due to global events. Market research must anticipate such challenges and their impact on consumer sentiment and purchasing behavior.

• High Investment Risks: The automotive industry demands high capital investments, especially when venturing into new tech. Automotive market research aims to ensure these investments are data-backed and strategically sound.

What the Best Automotive Market Research Programs Do Differently

Three patterns separate leading programs from the rest.

First, they run continuous tracking rather than episodic studies. Powertrain preference, ADAS willingness-to-pay, and brand consideration shift quarterly in current market conditions, and annual studies miss the inflection points that matter for capital allocation.

Second, they invest as heavily in supply-side intelligence as demand-side. Battery cell pricing, semiconductor allocation, tier-one supplier capacity, and charging network buildout all move faster than consumer preference and often determine what is commercially possible before customer demand becomes the constraint.

Third, they treat car clinics and ethnographic research as design inputs, not launch validation. In SIS International's automotive clinic work across European and North American markets, insights gathered eighteen to twenty-four months pre-launch have consistently produced higher ROI than late-stage validation, particularly on interior architecture, HMI logic, and charging user experience.

The OEMs and suppliers gaining share right now are not the ones with the biggest research budgets. They are the ones asking sharper questions and connecting the answers to capital decisions faster than the cycle demands.

Automotive market research, done at this level, is a competitive weapon rather than a reporting function. The next decade will reward the executives who treat it that way.

How SIS International’s Automotive Market Research Helps Businesses

SIS International offers comprehensive automotive market research solutions designed to help businesses navigate the complexities of the automotive industry and achieve their strategic objectives. Here's how our services can benefit businesses:

Verminder risico:

SIS International's automotive market research helps businesses mitigate risks associated with product development, market entry, and strategic decision-making. 

Verhoog de omzet:

Our automotive market research gives businesses valuable insights into market demand, consumer behavior, and competitive positioning, enabling them to develop targeted strategies that drive revenue growth. 

Save Money and Time:

Our automotive market research helps businesses make informed decisions quickly and efficiently, minimizing wasted resources and accelerating time-to-market for new products, services, and initiatives. 

Versnel groei en innovatie:

SIS International's automotive market research gives businesses the insights and intelligence to drive growth and innovation in a rapidly evolving industry landscape. 

Verhoog uw ROI:

Ultimately, partnering with SIS International for automotive market research delivers a tangible return on investment (ROI) by enabling businesses to make smarter, more strategic decisions that drive growth, profitability, and long-term success.

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Over SIS Internationaal

SIS Internationaal biedt kwantitatief, kwalitatief en strategisch onderzoek. Wij bieden data, tools, strategieën, rapporten en inzichten voor besluitvorming. Wij voeren ook interviews, enquêtes, focusgroepen en andere marktonderzoeksmethoden en -benaderingen uit. Neem contact met ons op voor uw volgende marktonderzoeksproject.