Overview
- A Center of Automotive Management cross‑manufacturer study published November 12, 2026 finds average operative margin across the sampled firms fell from 4.0% to 3.6% and operative profit dropped 11% to €60.4 billion.
- The study reports average operative profit per car slipped from €1,409 to €1,363 and highlights that special charges and accounting differences can distort headline comparisons.
- Volkswagen recorded roughly €8.7 billion in special charges that reduced its reported margin to about 0.03% and left it with an estimated €12 profit per car on a headline basis.
- Performance diverges by region and business mix with several Japanese and Chinese makers posting stronger margins (for example Suzuki 9.3%, Chery 7.6%, Toyota 7%) while many German brands face sharper pressure in passenger‑car operations.
- CAM director Stefan Bratzel warned the decline is a warning signal and urged automakers to restructure costs and convert heavy investments in electrification, software and AI into customer‑paid products to restore profitability.