Given the booming economy and sheer numbers, it was bound to happen one day, that China’s domestic car industry would become the world’s biggest force in the automotive industry, as reported by European Automobile Manufacturer’s Association (ACEA). In 2013, China overtook Europe to become the world’s largest car manufacturer. A total of 18 million cars were produced in China compared to EU’s production total of 14.6m.
China produced around one million cars in 2002 but by 2006, they built over 4 million cars, matching the United States’ numbers in the process. While the other car making countries crumbled during the 2008 financial crisis, car manufacturing in China accelerated into greater scales.
Interestingly, the countries of BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) now produce 39.6 percent of the world’s cars, with the Chinese contributing 27.6 per cent of that. There are an estimated 80 local car marques in China, with Geely owning Swedish carmaker, Volvo.
[Source: Autocar UK, Image: Wikipedia]
