Chinese electric-vehicle (EV) OEMs have halved time to market, pressuring established automakers to speed up or fall behind. EV market share in China jumped from 1 percent in 2015 to 46 percent in 2024, explain Senior Partner Kimberly Borden and coauthors. Fast development is critical; Chinese EV makers launch new models in about 24 months, compared with up to 45 months for mass market OEMs. Legacy companies could accelerate production by adopting lean governance structures and tech-driven project management.
Image description:
A horizontal stacked bar chart compares the directional product development timeline in China for various electric vehicle manufacturers, measured in months. The chart displays 4 categories: new electric vehicle OEM, mass-market OEM, sports car manufacturer, and premium OEM. Each category is divided into 3 segments representing different stages of product development: styling/design validation; engineering, tooling, and testing; and industrialization. The new electric vehicle OEM has the shortest development timeline, completing the 3 stages in 24 months (10 + 5 + 9). In contrast, the other 3 categories take significantly longer, with the mass-market OEM requiring 45 months (28 + 7 + 10), the sports car manufacturer needing 48 months (25 + 12 + 11), and the premium OEM taking 53 months (23 + 21 + 9). The chart also indicates the start of production for each category, marked by a circle on the bar, and notes that ongoing software/hardware releases occur after production begins.
Note: This image description was completed with the assistance of Writer, a gen AI tool.
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To read the article, see “Automotive product development: Accelerating to new horizons,” August 19, 2025.