According to the British auto magazine AUTOCAR reported on November 1, China has now become the world's largest auto producer, and the EU relegated to second place.
According to the latest data released by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), the EU's automobile production was almost flat between 2012 and 2013, while China's automobile production exceeded the EU in 2012 and continued to climb in 2013, reaching 18 million, far exceeding 14.6 million vehicles in the European Union.
The BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) accounted for 39.6% of the world's total production and China accounted for 27.6%. In contrast, India has a 4.8% share, Brazil has a 4.2%, and Russia has a 2.9% share.
In 2002, the Chinese auto industry, which was just started, produced only 1 million vehicles a year. In 2006, China's auto production has caught up with the United States and produced more than 4 million vehicles.
In the wave of the global credit crisis in 2008, automobile production in almost all countries has fallen, and only China's automobile industry has experienced significant growth. In 2008, China's automobile production did not exceed 7 million units, and by the end of 2010, the output had exceeded 14 million units.
According to data released by ACEA, 2.2 million people in the EU directly participated in the production of automobiles, and 1.27 million people participated in the entire automobile production chain. This total accounts for 5.8% of the EU employees.