List of the 100 largest vehicle manufacturers Germany [2025]

List of the 5 largest vehicle manufacturers in Germany

Car manufacturing is a key German industry with 800,000 jobs and 400 billion euros in annual sales. The industry faces major challenges, climate-friendly car production is in demand. These are the 5 largest German vehicle manufacturers:

1. Volkswagen AG, Wolfsburg

Volkswagen is not only a traditional German brand, but a true global player and one of the world’s largest car companies. In the beginning there was the VW Beetle. Today, brands such as Audi, Porsche, Seat and Skoda also belong to the VW Group. Worldwide, almost 663,000 people work for Volkswagen.

2. Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Stuttgart

Daimler and Mercedes-Benz – these names stand for automotive history. Today, Daimler is Germany’s leading manufacturer of premium vehicles. The Group has almost 290,000 employees. In the future, the commercial vehicle division is to operate independently as Daimler Truck AG. The rest of the group with the passenger car division is to change its name from “Daimler” to “Mercedes-Benz”.

3. BMW AG, Munich

BMW’s history began in 1916 with aircraft engines. Cars and motorcycles followed later. Both continue to shape the BMW business model today. With 120,000 employees, BMW is one of the 15 largest car manufacturers in the world. In addition to the “house brand” BMW, the British brands Mini and Rolls Royce belong to the group.

4. AUDI AG, Ingolstadt

AUDI has been part of the Volkswagen Group since the 1960s. Nevertheless, it still operates as an independent brand for premium vehicles. The AUDI subgroup employs around 90,000 people. AUDI also includes the sports car manufacturer Lamborghini and the motorcycle manufacturer Ducati.

5. TRATON SE, Munich

Until 2018, TRATON was called Volkswagen Truck & Bus – the commercial vehicle division of the VW Group. With an 89.7 percent stake, Volkswagen is still TRATON’s main owner. The commercial vehicle subgroup with 83,000 employees stands for the MAN, Scania, Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus (MAN Latin America), Navistar and RIO brands.

The German vehicle manufacturing industry

We present in our unique lists the largest vehicle manufacturers in Germany. For us, vehicle manufacturers are all manufacturers of cars, trucks, special vehicles (e.g. fire engines), construction machinery, and agricultural machinery. The vehicle automobile industry is one of the most important industries for Germany. The car manufacturer with the highest turnover is Volkswagen AG from Wolfsburg, which is also the company with the highest turnover in Germany. Volkswagen is headquartered in Wolfsburg and has an annual turnover of 252 billion euros.

This information will be included in the list

• Company name
• General contact data (address, e-mail address, telephone number, URL)
• Name of the management
• Serial letter suitable for addressing the management (e.g. “Dear Dr. Müller”)
• Sales figures for the years 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015 (taken from the annual and consolidated financial statements)
• Employee figures for the years 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019 and 2018 (taken from the annual and consolidated financial statements)
• Sector classification & Field of activity

Note: Our sales figures and employee numbers are always taken from publications in the Federal Gazette or the company register. If no annual financial statements/consolidated financial statements are published in the Federal Gazette or the company register — or if these financial statements do not contain sales figures and/or employee numbers — our list will also not contain any figures, which we will then indicate in the list with “n.a.”. If you would like to know the exact figures covered in the list, we will be happy to provide you with transparent information before you place your order. Simply send us an email contact [at] researchgermany.com.

Picture source: Unsplash (Lenny Kuhne), Unsplash (Imthaz Ahamed)