of auto majors as cars become computers on four wheels says hormazd sorabjee editor autocar india in future things will be very unpredictable we are entering the most disruptive phase in the automotive industry among the major factors reshaping the pecking order is the worlds most populous country china is the game changer by 2020 china will sell almost twice as many cars as the us who wins in china wins globally says michael dunne president of consultancy firm dunne automotive ford dropping out of the top five gm slipping and vw revving up with 4 million unit sales in china in 2017 clear all doubts in this context chinamade cars are increasingly gaining a toehold once makers of cheap cars homegrown chinese firms are rising up the value curve geely for example acquired volvo and made some deft rd moves consequently chinese brands share in the countrys passenger car market has surged from under 25 in 2007 to around 44 in 2017 says bevin jacob cofounder of chinabased automobility ltd china has had a head start in the electrification drive too and this will further cement its role in the new emerging order in 2017 ev global sales crossed 11 million 1 of car sales for the first time china accounted for nearly half of this number beijing is focusing on building an entire ecosystem around battery manufacturing and ev technology many see chinese firms breaking into the top five in the future tech the game changer virtually every carmaker is latching on to the ev bandwagon europe is saying goodbye to diesel based on recent announcements frost sullivan forecasts about 25 million evs will be sold by 2025 and over 400 models will be available the bet should be on leading chinese domestic car brands such as geely great wall and byd which are privatelyowned enterprises with entrepreneurial spirit adds jacob the rise of connected autonomous cars and shared mobility will also shape the future of the automobile industry how cars are being built and owned and more importantly profitability are factors that will change the landscape for example the popularity of ride sharing apps is already changing car buying habits in the west further the share of electronics in new generation cars is expected to rise from 30 plus by cost to 50 a car is becoming less of a mechanical and more of a software product says rakesh batra partner automotive ey imitating the handset industry hardware and components are increasingly getting commoditised software and electronics are becoming the differentiators says wilfried g aulbur senior partner roland berger with these disruptions it is less clear what value propositions will oems original equipment makers bring in the future these disruptive times are stoking a new wave of alliances and deals so far such deals were mostly about intraindustry tieups where companies sought economies of scale cost savings and new markets a wave signalled by the rnm alliance those of the future will increasingly