Press release
New Global Automaker Rating identifies leaders and laggards in the transition to electric vehicles
New Global Automaker Rating identifies leaders and laggards in the transition to electric vehicles
While Tesla and BYD lead the pack, Volkswagen is making strong plans and rapid progress toward decarbonizing its light-duty fleet, and Toyota lags by nearly every measure.
31 May 2023 (Washington, D.C.) – A new report from the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) rates how effectively the world’s 20 largest auto manufacturers are transitioning to zero-tailpipe-emission vehicles.
The report evaluates automakers on their performance and strategy across a set of measures related to their current position in the market, technology performance, and strategic vision for future decarbonization. The ICCT independently gathered and analyzed data for six markets: China, the European Union, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the United States. The 20 manufacturers the ICCT analyzed in its rating account for 89% of sales within these six markets and 65% of sales globally.
- Our rating shows that BYD – the only legacy automaker to go all-electric – is quickly catching up to Tesla, the rating’s leader.
- Tesla earned the highest overall rating. But while it’s the only large manufacturer producing only zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), it underperforms on some metrics, such as the variety of ZEV models it offers consumers.
- Legacy automakers BMW and Volkswagen are showing they’re serious about the EV transition – they scored high marks in this year’s rating.
- ICCT’s rating also showed that of the 20 largest manufacturers globally by sales, six automakers are lagging behind their competitors. Of those, five are headquartered in Japan.
“Considering the Dieselgate scandal was only 7 years ago, it is remarkable to see VW emerge as a serious leader in the transition to 100% zero-emissions vehicles,” said Rachel Muncrief, Acting Executive Director of ICCT. In 2015, research from the ICCT broke the Dieselgate scandal.
The ICCT rated manufacturers relative to one another across each of the 10 custom-built metrics. “Our goal with this report was to provide a data-driven, transparent analysis of automakers’ progress toward decarbonization, in their plans and actions,” said Zifei Yang, the project manager and ICCT’s passenger vehicle program lead.
The ICCT’s deep auto industry expertise makes this rating different from other ESG assessments. The ICCT’s rating is a forward-looking analysis of manufacturer preparedness for vehicle electrification and it uses independent data and analysis rather than corporate surveys and self-reported information. The ICCT developed rating metrics with an eye toward tracking progress over time, and the organization will update the rating every year.
ICCT modeling indicates that nearly 100% of new light-duty vehicles sold in leading markets in 2035 must have zero tailpipe emissions to put the transportation sector on a trajectory aligned with the goal of limiting global warming to below 2 °C, as defined in the Paris Climate Agreement.
Publication details:
The Global Automaker Rating 2022: Who is leading the transition to electric vehicles?
Authors: Chang Shen, Ilma Fadhil, Zifei Yang, Stephanie Searle
Please use this link when citing the report: https://theicct.org/publication/the-global-automaker-rating-2022-may23/
Media Contact:
Michael Doerrer & Kelli Pennington: communications@theicct.org
About the International Council on Clean Transportation
The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) is an independent research organization providing first-rate, unbiased research and technical and scientific analysis to environmental regulators. Our mission is to improve the environmental performance and energy efficiency of road, marine, and air transportation, in order to benefit public health and mitigate climate change. Founded in 2001, we are a nonprofit organization working under grants and contracts from private foundations and public institutions.
