Automotive Industry White Paper

1. Definition and Functional Positioning

An automotive industry white paper refers to an authoritative research report issued by government agencies, industry organisations, research institutes, or automotive enterprises on specific themes within the automotive sector. Its primary function is to systematically review the current state of the industry, identify key trends, and propose strategic recommendations, serving as a vital reference framework for policy-making, corporate strategies, and academic research. Unlike an annual report, a white paper is distinguished by its thematic focus—delivering deep-dive analyses into specific subjects (such as digital transformation, global marketing, and consumption stimulus) rather than offering a broad, panoramic industry overview.

2. Main Types and Representative Cases

Based on the publishing entities and focal themes, automotive industry white papers are generally categorised into the following types:

Industrial Policy and Macro Development: Compiled by ministerial bodies or industry organisations, these reports provide strategic insights for industrial planning. For instance, the "Automotive Industry Blue Book" series, jointly published by Social Sciences Academic Press and the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), has served as a key benchmark showcasing the achievements of China's automotive industry since 2015, with over 20 volumes published to date. Among them, the "Annual Report on the Development of Commercial Vehicle Industry in China" is the 5th volume in the series, offering a systematic analysis of the global and Chinese commercial vehicle landscape. Meanwhile, the "Report on Automotive Industry and Technology Development in China", co-published by the Equipment Industry Development Center of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and China Automotive Engineering Research Institute (CAERI), features 31 dedicated studies across eight key dimensions: policy, market, complete vehicles, automotive components, safety, and cutting-edge technologies.

Technology and Digital Transformation: Focusing on the "New Four Modernisations" (CASE) technological disruption and industrial digitalisation roadmaps. For example, the white paper series published by Amazon Web Services (AWS) in partnership with consulting firms covers cutting-edge topics such as vehicle-cloud synergy, Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs), intelligent connected vehicle security, and international market expansion. The "Automotive Digital Operation White Paper" jointly released by Roland Berger and Tmall highlights four strategic breakthrough pillars across the retail ecosystem: new consumer demographics, new supply chains, new digital touchpoints, and new business models.

Consumer Insights and Marketing: Focusing on evolving consumer behaviours and innovative marketing models. In 2024, Dongchedi and CAAM jointly released the "White Paper on Promoting Automotive Consumption and User Insights", highlighting that China's automotive market is transitioning from product-driven to service-driven, with New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) contributing over 80% to overall sales growth. Furthermore, the "Automotive Industry White Paper" by GIMC and Kuaishou highlights demographic shifts, projecting that Gen Z buyers will account for over 60% of new car purchasers by 2025, driving automotive marketing from "brand-performance integration" into the 3.0 era of "brand-performance-sales integration".

Globalisation and Overseas Expansion: With China emerging as the world's leading vehicle exporter, global market research has become a prominent focus of white papers. According to the "China Cars · Global Reviews: Automotive Brand Overseas Influencer Marketing White Paper" released by Dongchedi's JuDongChe in 2026, overseas Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) achieve a 106% higher conversion and recommendation efficiency than domestic creators, excelling at sparking consumer interest and driving search intent; however, overseas automotive creator content currently accounts for less than 1% of the overall industry share.

3. Core Value and Industry Significance

The strategic value of automotive industry white papers lies in three key areas. First, trend forecasting: Uncovering structural shifts in the sector through empirical data—such as NEV market penetration leaping from under 2% to over 50% within a decade, alongside the exit of over 400 carmakers during the same period. Second, policy reference: The Blue Book series directly informs governmental decision-making through specialised studies on topics like "dual carbon" targets, traction battery carbon footprint monitoring, and automotive data security. Third, strategic guidance for OEMs: White papers offer carmakers actionable implementation roadmaps for electrification transitions, digital retail operations, and international market penetration.

4. Future Development Trends

The publication and distribution of automotive white papers are advancing in three major directions. Thematic granularisation: Shifting from high-level overviews to granular deep dives, incorporating specialised safety scenarios such as night-time two-wheeler collision testing and blind-spot pedestrian dart-outs obstructed by road dividers. Diversification of publishers: Beyond conventional government ministries and industry councils, tech giants, management consultancies, and digital media platforms have emerged as key contributors, expanding coverage from regulatory policies to digital operations and global marketing. Digitalised distribution: White papers are rapidly evolving from conventional print publications into multi-channel digital formats, including online downloads, industry summit debuts, and short-form video breakdowns.