Is GM the largest automaker in the world?
No. By the most widely used benchmarks—global vehicle sales and production—Toyota Motor Corporation has led the world for several years, with Volkswagen Group often close behind. General Motors remains a major global automaker, but it does not hold the top spot in these standard rankings as of the latest data available in 2024–2025.
What counts as “largest” varies: some rankings focus on units sold or produced, others on revenue, profit, or market capitalization. This article explains the main definitions and where GM fits within them in the current landscape.
What counts as the “largest” automaker?
In industry parlance, the term commonly refers to total vehicles sold globally or produced in a given year. Revenue and market value are other common measures, though they can tell a different story than unit totals. Analysts also distinguish between company-wide group totals (for example, a corporate group like Toyota H Worldwide, which includes several brands) and brand-level totals.
Sales and production leaders
In recent years, the leaders by vehicle sales and production have consistently included Toyota and Volkswagen Group, with other major groups such as Hyundai Motor Group and Stellantis also ranking among the top. General Motors, while vast and influential, generally sits behind those leaders in the annual global totals and has faced stiff competition across key markets, especially in China and Europe.
GM’s position in the global market
General Motors remains one of the world’s largest carmakers by footprint and brand presence, with significant operations in North America, China, and several other markets. In the current cycle, GM has prioritized electrification, battery investments, and software-driven mobility, announcing several large-scale EV initiatives and plant reconfiguration. However, those strategic changes have not pushed GM to the very top of the traditional rankings based on vehicle sales or production, where Toyota and Volkswagen Group continue to lead in most measurements for 2023–2024 and into 2025.
Strengths and challenges
GM’s strengths include a broad lineup of trucks and SUVs in North America, a growing EV pipeline, and a large manufacturing footprint. Its challenges include competition from entrenched leaders in Europe and Asia, the rapid transition to electric drivetrains, supply-chain volatility, and the need to scale Batteryd and software capabilities to match rivals.
By the numbers: where the leaders stand (overview)
Annual rankings by vehicle sales and production show Toyota at or near the top, with Volkswagen Group close behind in most recent years. The next tier commonly includes Hyundai Motor Group, Stellantis, and General Motors, with the exact order varying by year and data source. It is important to note that different metrics (revenue, profit, or market value) can produce different leaders entirely.
What this means for GM
For GM, the takeaway is that while the company remains a global powerhouse with a strong presence in key markets and a clear path toward electrification, it is not the world’s largest automaker by the standard unit-based measures used by industry observers. The landscape continues to shift with EV adoption, regional demand changes, and supply-chain dynamics.
Conclusion
In the current environment, GM is not the largest automaker in the world when judging by conventional metrics like vehicle sales or production. Toyota leads, with Volkswagen Group often close behind, and other groups like Hyundai-Kia and Stellantis forming the next tier. GM remains a major player with a strategic pivot toward electrification and software, but the top spot belongs to the leaders mentioned above.
Summary
Bottom line: GM is a prominent global automaker, but it does not hold the title of the world’s largest automaker by standard metrics such as sales or production. Toyota and Volkswagen Group are typically at the top, with GM in the next tier. The definition of “largest” can change depending on whether the metric is unit totals, revenue, or market value, and those nuances shape how the industry views GM’s relative rank.
Who is the biggest automaker in the world?
Toyota is the biggest car company in the world by sales, while Volkswagen Group is often ranked second in sales and sometimes first by production or assets. The "biggest" car company can be defined in different ways, such as by the number of vehicles sold, revenue, or total assets, with different companies often leading in each category.
- By sales: Toyota has consistently held the top spot for global vehicle sales for several years, including in 2023 and 2024.
- By assets: Volkswagen AG holds the top position by total assets, followed by Toyota Motor Corporation.
- By production: Toyota is typically ranked first by production volume, but Volkswagen Group is often a very close second.
Who is bigger, GM or Toyota?
After 90 years, GM is no longer the top seller in America WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Jan. 4, 2022 Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp outsold General Motors Co in the United States in 2021, marking the first time the Detroit automaker has not led U.S. auto sales since 1931.
Who are the big 3 auto manufacturers?
United States. General Motors, the Ford Motor Company and Chrysler are often referred to as the Big Three, although Chrysler has been surpassed as the third-largest U.S. automaker by Toyota of America.
Who is bigger, GM or Tesla?
While Tesla did a total of ~$100 Billion in sales. Yet, despite nearly similar bottom lines of about $5 to $7 Billion, Tesla is valued at over $1.5 Trillion, while Ford and GM are valued at about $50 and $60 Billion, respectively.
