Special Report: The car industry
April 2023Editorial
The Economist
Art direction — Xiaoujuan Pang
The Economist
Art direction — Xiaoujuan Pang
2023
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/06b25c821eb9e2cb0de7b9f4535945d642d55da9e11a52c7f3c0d329bc7bd658/SR---Cover-final-0.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f41c69fb149a30b0c474fac055bc8ceaf454f347bc31ecf0199101dd6acdbccb/SR---Cover-final-1.jpg)
The car industry
Everything about carmaking is changing at once
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3e5221d438450780a221c6ab8d8c231728fdd4a4ce4b79b2c06da1851670e38e/SR---Carmakers-03-a_1.jpg)
Electrification
The future lies with electric vehicles
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8902b96d9a9d164e505b1f046d8a724c4ad8b998f54a69e6912d583f201abb6c/SR---Carmakers-03-a_2.jpg)
Barriers to entry
It is getting easier for new entrants to make cars
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d4e8d24b65552a92144f82521376c006102445bea30cd11029771b4c07a4c46a/SR---Carmakers-03-a_3.jpg)
The new challenge
China is leading the challenge to incumbent carmakers
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f034f08f0b47f2a966cdbf1520185da6ac6dbd0494bfce781b767128016161d3/SR---Carmakers-03-a_4.jpg)
The software shuffle
Software is now as important as hardware in cars
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9888d430daa3f7c9e9833f208092876f9c9b832512e8cbb5e2695dd36759a84d/SR---Carmakers-03-a_5.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/288959ab7c29f7b43226067dc096fc84b89783f54170d12129e58bec8889d1e4/SR---Carmakers-03-b_6.jpg)
Hands off the wheel
Autonomous vehicles are coming, but slowly
Direct drive
Car firms are trying out new ways to sell mobility
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/bc0d1c850c5557ff70b62a0a62b6e947b356bbbcdb6052ab13a0e1a0cd59baf3/SR---Carmakers-03-b_7.jpg)
Geopolitics
How geopolitical tensions could disrupt the global car industry
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/330bd8a62e3ed93305a83802a7a98b5f69bfd2bc6e3319c09e904df3d458a97a/SR---Carmakers-03-b_8.jpg)
Changing lanes
A changing car industry should result in more choice and better motoring
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/fd8b5ea6b277d79cebe5e1de5715025d05c6f6437231eeb61b6b669d0392e382/SR---Carmakers-03-b_9.jpg)