Nové automobilové velmoci a jejich dopad na konkurenceschopnost evropského automobilového trhu

The aim of this thesis is to assess how the rise of new automotive powers affects the competitiveness of the European automotive market. The first chapter provides a literature review of existing academic knowledge on the automotive sector and defines key theoretical concepts, such as automotive power, global value chain, and competitiveness theory, which form the analytical framework for the evaluation. The second chapter examines the transformation of the global automotive market structure in favor of new players. The findings show that since 2019, only four countries among the world’s top ten producers have demonstrated consistent growth: China, South Korea, India, and Mexico. The most significant competitor to the EU is China, which dominates in production volume, the pace of expansion in electromobility, control over critical raw materials, and a high degree of vertical integration. The third chapter uses Porter’s national diamond to identify and evaluate the key factors influencing the competitiveness of the EU automotive industry, such as dependence on imports of critical raw materials, slower adoption of new technologies, higher production costs, and structural pressures on the labor force. The research concludes that the EU must strengthen technological innovation, reduce its dependence on imported key components, and accelerate industrial transformation. A stable regulatory environment, the mobilization of both public and private investment, and support for demand for low-emission and electric vehicles through targeted incentives and infrastructure development are crucial for maintaining the competitiveness of the European automotive industry.