Around 90 million cars were sold across the globe in 2025, with Toyota, Volkswagen, and Hyundai-Kia reigning as the leading vehicle manufacturers. Electric vehicle manufacturers, such as Chinese brand BYD, continue to grow year on year, with EVs accounting for 25% of all new vehicle sales in 2024. EV adoption has experienced major growth in China and Europe, with over 11 million EV sales reported in China alone in 2024.
In the UK, the automotive industry contributed a significant GBP93 billion to the national economy in 2024, employing over 813,000 people. As 8 out of 10 UK-manufactured cars are exported, the industry accounts for 12% of total UK goods exports. Recent updates to the UK’s move to de-carbonise the economy mean government targets for manufacturers have again been brought forward from 2040 to between 2030 and 2035. FieldworkHub has supported both B2B and consumer projects in the automotive market, including projects on electric vehicles, used cars, lubricants and engine conditioners, and paint finishing products.
Focus groups allow participants to combine experiences and perspectives to explore ideas in depth. Commonly used during creative and conceptual development, they help you understand your customers’ needs, perceptions, and beliefs.
In-depth interviews (IDIs), where a moderator interviews a single respondent, can be conducted face-to-face, online, or over the phone. They are ideal for B2B research and for exploring delicate subjects with consumers and hard-to-reach groups.
Ethnographic research is a qualitative research method in which the researchers observe participants using a product or service, or carrying out other activities, in their own environment, typically at work or at home.
An online bulletin board (OBB) is an online forum for qualitative market research that enables participants to log into to carry out research tasks or reply to questions asked by a moderator at their own pace, typically over a period of a few days.
A market research online community (MROC) is similar to an online bulletin board (OBB). However, unlike an OBB, on online community may be used to serve multiple purposes, and the community may remain active for weeks, months or even years.
User experience (UX) testing is a qualitative research methodology which involves directly observing and interviewing a participant using a product or service. It is widely used for testing new versions of apps and websites before they are launched.
Customer experience (CX) testing evaluates how customers interact with a product, service, or digital platform. It helps identify usability issues and overall satisfaction to improve the customer journey and ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience.
A video survey is a type of unmoderated qualitative research in which survey takers respond to a series of instructions or questions by making short videos using their smartphone, either in ‘selfie’ mode or to record an activity.
Vox pop research involves making recordings of people, usually members of the public, responding to questions. These clips are often used in research to illustrate public opinion on widely known topics, brands, or products.
Online surveys are a cost-effective research method with great flexibility in design. Automated data handling allows the results to be available quickly and many online surveys can be completed on smartphones, helping to improve the response rate.
CATI (computer-assisted telephone interviewing) leverages technology to reach those who aren’t online. CATI interviews follow an electronic script with built in routing and type in the respondent’s answers to each question as the interview proceeds.
CAPI (computer-assisted personal interviewing) is a form of face-to-face interviewing where the interviewer reads the survey questions from a tablet device and inputs the respondent’s answers directly to the device.
Our client wanted to understand the decision-making process of UK car repair workshops when ordering replacement electronic control units and their views on the use of refurbished products. We delivered quantitative results from over 200 respondents using a combination of telephone interviews and an online survey.
FieldworkHub recruited owners of small and medium-sized independent garages in Manchester to take part in interviews at their workplaces about engine coolants and fuel additives. In a second phase of this project, we also recruited commuters, cab drivers, car enthusiasts and vintage car drivers for interviews.
A design consultancy was working with a European motor manufacturer to develop a new product to help owners of battery electric vehicles to recharge their cars more easily. We recruited respondents in France, Italy and Spain to take part in focus groups and IDIs about pain points with charging and the new product concept.
FieldworkHub was asked to recruit UK-based respondents for a three-part development study discussing difficulties that people encountered when claiming from their motor insurance provider following an accident. We recruited 13 respondents who had made a recent claim and were able to speak about their experiences.
Our client was working for Toyota and Lexus in the Middle East and wanted to explore topics around car ownership, car servicing and personal mobility in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. We were asked to recruit 60 car owners, car drivers and people who used other personal mobility solutions for 90-minute online and face-to-face IDIs.
This research was looking for professional paint sprayers and paint finishers working in the automotive and maritime industries in the UK and Ireland for tele-depth interviews about paint finishing systems. FieldworkHub recruited the full quota of respondents in both countries.
