International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management (5 papers in press)

Special Issue on: GERPISA 2025 The Central Role of China in the Global Automotive Industry

• Open Access

  Electric vehicle adoption in Chinas post-subsidy era: a mixed-methods study of non-fiscal incentives ( Free Full-text Access )

  by Haomin Fu 
  Abstract: As governments transition from providing fiscal subsidies for electric vehicles (EVs), this study evaluates the effectiveness of non-fiscal incentives in Chinas post-subsidy era. We utilised an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, combining a difference-in-differences-in-differences (DDD) analysis of 45 cities (2013 to 2022) with comparative case studies. The quantitative results indicate that road priority and charging infrastructure significantly boost EV sales, with road priority being more effective, particularly in cities with restrictions on conventional vehicles. Qualitative findings reveal that policy success depends on the credible implementation and systemic redesign of the urban mobility ecosystem. Taken together, these findings suggest that a strategic shift from direct financial aid to systemic regulatory and infrastructural design is critical for fostering sustainable EV adoption.
  Keywords: electric vehicle; non-fiscal incentive; road priority; charging infrastructure; policy evaluation; China; post-subsidy era; mixed-methods research; DDD method.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJATM.2026.10075821
   
  

• Open Access

  The great unbundling: from integrated architecture to orchestrated fluidity in the software defined vehicle era ( Free Full-text Access )

  by Zejian LI 
  Abstract: This paper theorises a fundamental paradigm shift in architecture theory, driven by the software defined vehicle. It posits the inverted mirroring path, a conceptual framework that overturns the traditional causal logic of the mirroring hypothesis. In this new paradigm, product architecture ceases to be a mirror of internal organisational structure and instead becomes a dynamic strategic interface that actively mediates exogenous forces institutional mandates, market dynamics, and user experience. The Chinese SDV ecosystem exemplifies this architectural unbundling: flexible industrial policy, a user base demanding perpetual evolution, and a proactive swarm strategy pursuing emergent heterogeneity have institutionalised a fluid design paradigm. Within this paradigm, the boundary configuration on what to integrate, decouple, or outsource becomes the primary locus of competition and value creation. Consequently, competitive advantage is redefined: it derives not from optimising a fixed architecture, but from a firms capacity to orchestrate architectural fluidity within an open, evolving socio-technical system.
  Keywords: software defined vehicles; SDV; architecture orchestration; swarm strategy; architectural flexibilisation; decoupling; socio-technical systems; product architecture evolution; Chinese automotive industry; BYD; NIO.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJATM.2026.10076371
   
  

Regular Issues

• How are manufacturers adjusting to declining demand for internal combustion engine vehicles? Changes to the footprint of engine production and sourcing patterns  
  by Thomas H. Klier, James M. Rubenstein 
  Abstract: This paper examines how vehicle manufacturers are adjusting to a world of shrinking volumes of internal combustion engines (ICE). We find evidence of a significant reduction in the variety of engines offered in ICE vehicles between 2016 and 2023. When we compare the footprint and sourcing patterns of engines for vehicles assembled in North America, we find no material change between 2016 and 2023 in the number of engine plants or vehicle assembly plants producing ICE vehicles. However, carmakers are using their reduced engine offerings to simplify the spatial connections between their engine plants and their assembly plants.
  Keywords: engine souring; industry geography; declining ICE production.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJATM.2026.10076670
   
  
• Advancing circularity in the auto industry: a review of circular business models from a Global South perspective  
  by Matheus Jesus Da Ressureição, Adriana Marotti De Mello, Juliano Pelegrina, João Valsecchi Ribeiro Souza, Roberto Marx 
  Abstract: To advance the comprehension of circular business models and guide effective strategies for adopting circularity across the automotive industry, this article undertakes a systematic literature review aimed at identifying prevailing conceptual frameworks and analytical perspectives related to these models. The selected peer reviewed publications provide the theoretical basis to explore how circular economy principles have been articulated and operationalised within automotive contexts. To empirically illustrate these theoretical insights, illustrative case studies are examined drawing on the theoretical constructs identified in the literature. The paper analyses five illustrative cases of Brazilian firms operating in the automotive industry, with the objective of characterising how circular business models are implemented in the Global South in practice and identifying the main circular strategies adopted by each company.
  Keywords: auto industry; sustainable mobility; circular business model; circular economy; Global South.
  
  
• Transitions in tension: interpreting and adapting the twin transition in a peripheral Toyota plant  
  by Adriana Martínez Martínez, Jorge Carrillo 
  Abstract: This article analyses how the twin transition, understood as the convergence of digitalisation and sustainability, is articulated and implemented at Toyota Motor Manufacturing de Guanajuato (TMMGT), a subsidiary located in Mexico. Based on 23 in-depth interviews conducted between 2021 and 2025, it adopts a qualitative case study approach with thematic analysis. Findings show that the twin transition unfolds in a fragmented and uneven manner, shaped by institutional constraints, local capabilities, and global innovation asymmetries. While the plant has advanced in automation, machine learning, and collaboration with universities, strategic decisions on electrification and disruptive technologies remain external. The study identifies seven thematic axes illustrating how innovation, co-creation with suppliers, and gender diversity are addressed within a context of limited autonomy. It concludes that the twin transition in peripheral subsidiaries is a political and organisational process, where global strategies are locally interpreted and adapted, contributing novel empirical evidence.
  Keywords: twin transition; automotive industry; digitalisation; sustainability; Toyota; Mexico.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJATM.2026.10077581