ALTEN - Automotive engineering - Intelligent connected vehicle - New energy

Sectors

Automotive

The automotive sector is one of the world’s largest industries and is a highly complex market characterized by constant challenges and technological innovations.

Automotive firms need to spend more on new technologies such as connectivity, driving automation, shared mobility, electrification. Simultaneously they need to continue investing in ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) technologies for efficiency, reducing emissions for a few more years. Also, they need to plan other technology investments as lightweight, hydrogen, more safety, security, and other new features.

Driving Towards the Future: Automotive Innovation and Cost Optimization

The automotive industry is transforming rapidly. Rising competition and costs are pushing manufacturers to innovate faster and shorten time-to-market. Governments worldwide are investing in EVs, hydrogen technologies, and infrastructure, while tech giants like Apple, Foxconn, and Xiaomi enter the EV space.

In China, these trends are most pronounced: 6.5 million new energy vehicles were sold from January to July 2025, over 60% of global EV sales, with NEVs making up more than half of the passenger car market. Charging infrastructure and software-defined vehicles are also expanding quickly. To stay competitive, automakers must embrace the “electric + smart” trend, optimize efficiency, reduce costs, and navigate local competition, policies, and export challenges.

ALTEN, A Major Player in the Automotive Sector

We support its customers in the industry’s priority challenges, including

Autonomy: secured and connected
The Customer: intuitiveness and comfort
Mobility: shared and globalized
The Economy: a vector of sustainability
Society: low carbon

Our know-how in automotive engineering, the quality of our project management methodologies (CMMI Level 3 since 2013) and the performance of our international R&D structures position us as a technological partner.

What Are the Market Trends in the Automotive Industry?

Earlier automotive outsourcing drivers were flexibility and time to market. Now there are costs and talents. Engineering service companies, as ALTEN, provide services to develop faster and in a cost-effective way to take advantage of this with access to the right resources and skills.

Carbon-free Society

In order to meet the challenges of global warming, public health and reducing dependence of fossil energy resources, all mobility stakeholders are committed to hybrid, electric or fuel cell propulsion technologies. According to the BCG, electrified vehicles could account for 50% of the world market share by 2030.

Challenges:

Reduce the cost of electric power components

Increase battery life and control battery supply

Deploy recharging infrastructures and reduce recharging time

Autonomous and Connected Transport

Artificial intelligence, the low cost of sensors and the development of new communications technologies (4G/5G, V2X…) have created a boom in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and self-driving vehicles.
AD (Autonomous Driving) systems offer new opportunities in the passenger and goods transport market, which is 5 times more important than the automotive market.

Challenges:

Allow the autonomous driving algorithm to cover as many situations as possible

Prepare the individual for use based on a rethought ergonomics

Prioritize new services related to autonomous transport

Growth of the automotive

The growth in mobility in Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East has reached the 100 million vehicles sold per year mark. In the last 15 years, car sales in China have multiplied by 25, that is almost 25 million new vehicles in 2017, more than one third of the global market.

Challenges:

Harmonize the logistics on the international scale

Develop and use local industrial and R&D resources

Anticipate rapid changes in these markets

Connectivity & Data

Collecting data will make it possible to develop new services (insurance, parking, etc.), optimize R&D, and production costs based on actual use by car drivers, or even implement predictive maintenance. The market for collecting and using vehicle data could reach 33 billion dollars in 2025 compared to 2 billion in 2017.

Challenges:

Protect personal data and car manufacturer data

Exploit a large quantity of unstructured data

Innovate in distribution and services in the automotive sector

Functional Sectors Covered by ALTEN