Tesla and BYD retained the top two spots in the International Council on Clean Transportation’s (ICCT) 2024 Global Automaker Rating, while several Chinese carmakers continued their climb up the rankings, highlighting their growing dominance in the global transition to electric vehicles (EVs).
The ICCT’s annual report, which evaluates the 21 largest original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) across six major car markets — China, Europe, India, Japan, South Korea, and the United States — found that Chinese OEMs such as Geely, Chery, and Changan posted the most significant improvements in electric vehicle strategy, technology, and performance.
“Geely and Chery increased their sales shares, introduced new models and placed greater emphasis on high-performance models that improve the average performance of their new BEV fleets,” the report noted, adding that Geely, along with SAIC, displaced BMW and Mercedes-Benz from the top four in the latest assessment.
Tesla held onto its top position despite stagnating sales in 2024, while BYD’s expanded BEV and PHEV sales were offset by declines in energy efficiency and range. “Although BYD sold more battery electric cars than its competitor Tesla for the first time in 2024… Tesla was therefore able to defend its top position,” the ICCT stated.
The report highlighted a growing divergence between regions. European manufacturers struggled to keep pace, while Japanese and South Korean firms remained at the bottom of the rankings. Honda and Nissan showed moderate progress, while Hyundai-Kia dropped into the ‘laggard’ category due to lack of reported progress on battery recycling. Tata Motors was the only manufacturer to move from ‘laggard’ to ‘transitioner’ status in 2024, due to its expanded EV lineup and greater efforts in battery reuse.
Despite a strong overall rise in EV sales — nearly 20% of global car sales in 2024 — the ICCT noted a general pullback in industry ambitions. “Many OEMs rolled back or cancelled their ZEV targets,” the report said, citing examples such as Ford, Mini, Volvo Cars, and Tata Motors. Moreover, “none of the 21 automakers significantly increased their ZEV investments in 2024,” the ICCT added.
Still, the authors noted positive momentum. “There is remarkable momentum behind electrification,” they wrote, emphasizing the increase in transparency and data disclosure across the industry, even as some automakers adjusted their near-term targets.
