Automotive industry

The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells the world's In 2007, more than 73 million motor vehicles, including and were produced worldwide.

In 2007, a total of 71.9 million new automobiles were sold worldwide: 22.9 million in 21.4 million in 19.4 million in USA and Canada, 4.4 million in 2.4 million in the and 1.4 million in The markets in and were stagnant, while those in and grew strongly. Of the major markets, and saw the most rapid growth.

About 250 million vehicles are in the United States. Around the world, there were about 806 million cars and light trucks on the road in 2007; they burn over 260 billion gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel yearly. The numbers are increasing rapidly, especially in China and India. transport systems based around the car have proved unsustainable, consuming excessive energy, affecting the health of populations, and delivering a declining level of service despite increasing investments. Many of these negative impacts fall disproportionately on those social groups who are also least likely to own and drive cars. The movement focuses on solutions to these problems.

In 2008, with rapidly rising oil prices, industries such as the automotive industry, are experiencing a combination of pricing pressures from raw material costs and changes in consumer buying habits. The industry is also facing increasing external competition from the public transport sector, as consumers re-evaluate their private vehicle usage. half of the US's fifty one light vehicle plants are projected to permanently close in the coming years with the loss of another 200,000 jobs in the sector, on top of the 560,000 jobs lost this decade.

Brazil

Main article:

The Brazilian automotive industry produced almost 3 million vehicles in 2007. Most of large global companies are present in Brazil, such as , , and also the emerging national companies such as others.

The Brazilian industry in regulated by the Associação Nacional dos Fabricantes de Veículos Automotores (Anfavea), created in 1956, which includes Auto makers (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.

The British motor industry has always been export oriented. Today it employs about 850,000 people and produces about 1.5 million cars and 216,000 per year, 75% of which are exported. top five UK car producers are and However, international competitiveness of UK cars have declined consistently since the 1990s and the country became unable to sustain production on par with Germany or France. Since 2000, motor vehicle production fell from 1,813,894 to 1,750,253. The country was overtaken by fast industrializing economies such as Brazil, India and Mexico. UK is the 12th largest automobile producer in the world but Russia is poised to overtake it in 2008.