Where we’ve been and where we’re heading: The story of the automotive landscape so far

In just a few weeks we’ll be a quarter of a way through this century, with the last 25 years being one defined by incredible change in our industry.

We’ve gone from a landscape dominated by the likes of Ford and Vauxhall, where the humble family saloon was the model of choice, to a market made up of 50 brands where the SUV reigns supreme. So scroll through our timeline below to find out where we’ve been and read on to see what the next decade has in store for our industry.

What’s next?

There is no question that the next decade will be defined by electric vehicles. The ZEV mandate and 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles have set the timeline for electrification, with each passing year now guaranteed to see the volume of electric vehicles in the UK car parc rise.

But the journey to electric won’t just impact the type of vehicles on the road. It will shake up the existing market order as new brands come to UK shores to capitalise on the switch to electric. We expect that by 2030 we will see around 60 car brands in the UK all vying for consumers’ attention. But, with four million fewer new cars sold this decade than the last, it will be a challenge for these brands to take a share from established brands. Some of these new brands will likely fail to take a significant share of the market, but many will see success.

The time is right for many new entrants as we see brand loyalties waver as a direct result of the journey to electric. In fact, 55% of EV buyers bought from a different brand compared to just 39% of buyers opting for a petrol vehicle. The decline in loyalty will potentially new brands on their journey to electric.

We expect to see new brands establishing themselves in the market, and potentially see some legacy brands losing share to these new brands or event leaving our market altogether.

What do you think the next decade has in store for our industry? Let us know in the comments.