Overview
- The fourth Lead the Charge ranking shows a third straight year of gains, with Tesla first at 49% and the 18‑company average at 25% with no firm above 50%.
- Ford, Volvo, Mercedes and Volkswagen round out the leaders, while Toyota sits near the bottom alongside Chinese state‑owned SAIC and GAC.
- Chinese brands recorded the fastest improvement, led by Geely—now the top‑scoring East Asian automaker—and BYD, which introduced a supplier code of conduct and a grievance mechanism.
- Transparency and supplier engagement are rising, with Geely disclosing low‑carbon steel and aluminum shares and Mercedes, Volkswagen and Tesla publishing detailed raw‑material due‑diligence reports.
- Advocates warn momentum could stall as EU Batteries Regulation due‑diligence rules are delayed two years and face potential weakening, even though existing best practices indicate scores could reach 86% if scaled.