Automotive research library

Research from competitor benchmarks, measurement and car-buyer data

Explore eDataXchange automotive digital competitor benchmarking, EV Index reports, media attribution, OEM analytics and customer-journey research.

Explore the library ↓
Published research · Q2 2026

Compare published EV readiness across selected European markets

76Germany70France67UK

Explore the selected-market comparison →

Overall index points · Published 12 August 2026
Research formats

Webinars, whitepapers, EV reports, videos and case studies

Newest first. Original publications, webinar summaries and recordings alongside concise reading guides. Historical reports keep their publication dates; their findings describe that period.

39 resources

Whitepapers

Measurement ·

Best-practice guide to automotive digital measurement

How to build a measurement framework for an automotive brand or model campaign: seven steps, a worked example and a pre-launch checklist.

Webinar · September 2026Does sport sponsorship work for car brands?With ITV
Webinars & events

Attribution ·

Does sport sponsorship work for car brands?

Summary of our September client webinar with ITV. Sport out-performed every other TV genre for driving response to car brands, but sponsorship builds value over time rather than acting as a direct sales channel.

EV reports

EV readiness ·

EV Index Q2 2026: Germany leads a rise in European EV interest

Germany, France and the UK improved as more buyers researched electric vehicles. Affordability still separates interest from readiness.

Webinar · 25 June 2026Which auto brands are getting AI right?Sophus3 analysts and client survey
Webinars & events

AI & search ·

Which auto brands are getting AI right?

Recap of our 25 June webinar on AI visibility, with findings from our client survey on AI readiness, leadership and what car buyers expect from AI answers.

Case studies

Attribution ·

Sabio: connecting streamed-TV audiences with automotive behaviour

Combining App Science audience targeting with Sophus3’s automotive attribution gives teams a clearer view of post-exposure engagement.

Webinar · 16 April 2026What is a car brand website for in 2026?Neel Desor · Richard Hughes · Sam Robson
Webinars & events

Customer journey ·

What is a car brand website for in 2026?

Neel Desor of What Car?, marketing leader Richard Hughes and Sophus3 lead analyst Sam Robson on the role of the brand website. Ten practical points from the panel.

Case studies

EV readiness ·

Zapmap: app analytics built around the product team’s questions

Zapmap’s product team wanted analytics it could act on. Sophus3 agreed the business goals first, repaired and validated the app tracking, then built Looker Studio reporting around the decisions the team makes.

Webinar · February 2026Are your digital and TV campaigns really working?Sophus3 analysts
Webinars & events

Attribution ·

Are your digital and TV campaigns really working?

Why click-based attribution undervalues the brand and model activity that creates future demand, and how Auto Match links streamed TV with what car buyers do next.

Case studies

Attribution ·

ITV × Carwow: measuring what car buyers do after a TV ad

Auto Match links ITVX streamed-TV exposure with what in-market car buyers do next. Twelve months in, more than ten manufacturers have used it, and viewers are 181% more likely to visit the advertiser’s site.

EV reports

EV readiness ·

EV Index 2025 Q2: time to address the second-hand market

The Sophus3 EV Index improved in most tracked markets, but the used-EV market emerged as a major constraint on wider adoption.

Market analysis

Customer experience ·

Driving decisions: how car buyers use reviews to make their choice

Research with Haymarket, Autovia and Bauer analysed millions of interactions to understand how automotive media influences the purchase journey.

Webinar · February 2025The game-changers in automotive digital 2025Sophus3 analysts
Webinars & events

Market intelligence ·

The game-changers in automotive digital 2025

Stock locators, audience quality, EV demand, Chinese brands and mobility services: what our 2025 webinar data showed about a market where supply again exceeded demand.

Event · October 2024Sophus3 at the Paris Motor Show 2024Sophus3 insight team
Webinars & events

Event ·

Sophus3 at the Paris Motor Show 2024

Sophus3’s insight team tours the latest products and digital innovations at the 2024 Mondial de l’Auto in Paris.

EV reports

EV Index ·

EV Index 2024 Q2: approaching a crisis point

Overview After a dismal start to 2024—with the measurement of EV readiness falling dramatically in the big 5 markets during the first quarter—there were signs of recovery during.

Videos & sessions▶

Market entry ·

Video: Chinese brands expand their digital footprint in Europe

Sam Robson on the growth of Chinese car brands’ digital market share in Europe, their EV price advantage and the markets where they are most active.

EV reports

EV Index ·

EV Index 2024 Q1: sharp reversals in EV readiness

Overview The first quarter of 2024 saw the largest decline in the measurement of EV readiness in the Big 5 European markets recorded since Sophus3 commenced publication of the EV.

Webinar · March 2024Automotive digital in 2024: the engagement challengeSophus3 analysts
Webinars & events

Market intelligence ·

Automotive digital in 2024: the engagement challenge

Our 2024 webinar on engagement, ecommerce readiness, EV demand and the growing digital presence of Chinese brands.

Market analysis

Market entry ·

The Long March: Chinese car brands in Europe

Sophus3 tracked the rapidly expanding European footprint of Chinese automotive brands, their digital capabilities and their early audience share.

EV reports

EV Index ·

EV Index 2023 Q4: interest and sales stall

Overview At the end of the last quarter we made some changes to the methodology by which we calculate elements of the EV Index. We detail the refinements below which are intended.

Market analysis

Market Intelligence ·

Quiz: Can you match these Chinese brands with their models?

Chinese brands entering Europe are facing a familiar challenge in mature automotive markets: what to call their cars. The majority are resorting to the reliable, if forgettable.

Videos & sessions

Research ·

Video: Is the marketing funnel destroying customer experience?

View Sophus3’s Head of Insight, Patrick Fuller, says prioritising customer experience is key to car brands making a success of their ecommerce channels. Transcript: “As the car.

Videos & sessions

Research ·

Video: Is your market ready for auto ecommerce?

View Scott Gairns describes the assistance that the Ecommerce Readiness Index provides to car brands developing direct-to-consumer retail channels. Transcript: “The car industry.

Market analysis

Market Intelligence ·

Video: What are the digital capabilities of the Chinese car brands entering Europe?

View Are Chinese Brands Becoming More Digita In this latest episode from Sophus3’s Automotive Digital Summit 2023 we share unique research and insight into the digital strategies.

Videos & sessions

Research ·

Video: Which automotive markets are growing in digital?

View Video: Which markets are growing in digital? In this latest extract from Sophus3’s Automotive Digital Summit 2023 Scott Gairns examines the differences in car-buyer interest.

Whitepapers

Customer experience ·

Digital Car Buyer in Numbers 2023

Sophus3’s annual research examines audiences, engagement and ecommerce through its collaborative automotive data.

Videos & sessions

Research ·

Video: What works best in automotive ecommerce?

View Video: Sophus3 Digital Automotive Summit 2023 Car brands are approaching ecommerce in different ways, but what does the data tell us about best practice? In this 10-minute.

Market analysis

Market entry ·

How digital were Chinese challenger brands?

The second briefing paper provides a baseline for understanding how new entrants’ European websites have evolved.

Market analysis

Research ·

How to put the ‘human’ into auto ecommerce

Tuesday 7th June 2022 | The second video in our 2022 Automotive Summit focuses on ecommerce, direct from the state-of-the-art virtual showroom facility at Volkswagen Group’s UK.

Whitepapers

Research ·

White paper: Digital Car Buyer in Numbers 2022

Download the Digital Car Buyer in Numbers 2022 Thursday 31st March 2022 | Sophus3 today releases the 2022 edition of our annual review of the automotive sector’s digital, campaign.

Market analysis

Research ·

Europe’s car brands are sleep-walking into historic levels of marketing inefficiency

Europe’s car brands are sleep-walking into historic levels of marketing inefficiency The latest analysis from automotive digital specialists Sophus3 suggests car brands are using.

Videos & sessions

Research ·

What automotive can learn from other sectors in digital

Sophus3 Quarterly Insights Event Q4: What automotive can learn from other sectors In this edition we talk with Marketing Strategist DeLu Jackson who spent many years in the US car.

Whitepapers

Research ·

How to navigate privacy without compromising your analytics

Sophus3 Briefing paper – July 2021 Maintaining digital analytics for car brands within new privacy and consent frameworks What is happening? A combination of changes is upending.

SOPHUS3 / RESEARCH ARCHIVERethinking car buying in the ecommerce age2021
Whitepapers

Customer experience ·

Rethinking car buying in the ecommerce age

A 13-page whitepaper exploring how automotive retail can adapt to ecommerce and changing buyer expectations, published alongside the 2021 Digital Summit.

Download the PDF ↓Hosted by Sophus3 · Historical reportRead the research guide →
SOPHUS3 / RESEARCH ARCHIVEAutomotive Digital Summit 2021: Rethinking car buying2021
Videos & sessions▶

Customer experience ·

Automotive Digital Summit 2021: Rethinking car buying

Watch the 2021 summit recording alongside the accompanying whitepaper on automotive ecommerce. Historical session.

SOPHUS3 / RESEARCH ARCHIVEThe Digital Car Buyer in Numbers 20212021
Whitepapers

Digital benchmarking ·

The Digital Car Buyer in Numbers 2021

Sophus3’s annual review of the digital automotive year: how Covid-19 changed website traffic, devices, advertising and registrations in 2020, and the outlook for 2021.

Download the PDF ↓Hosted by Sophus3 · Historical reportRead the research guide →
Apply the research

Use the same data and methods on your own automotive business questions

Explore how eDataXchange automotive digital competitor benchmarking, analytics and attribution help teams improve demand, customer journeys and marketing outcomes.

Talk to an automotive specialist

Need competitor benchmarks, better analytics or independent attribution?

Talk to Sophus3 about eDataXchange, automotive analytics, media measurement, AI visibility or market entry.

Book a strategy call