China - world leader of automotive production in 2014. Last year, China produced 22.5 million cars and light utility vehicles, twice as many as the United States (11.4 million), thereby setting itself apart as global leader in automotives, according to the consultancy IHS. In 2008, the two countries were neck and neck and in 2000, the United States still produced seven times more vehicles than China. China's dominance mirrors the explosion in domestic demand: between 2007 and 2014, car sales tripled in China, a situation which can be confirmed at the level of production sites. According to IHS' figures, Asia was home to 9 of the 10 largest car-building establishments in the world in 2014. The largest of these belongs to Hyundai, in South Korea, which produced 1.5 million vehicles last year, but Chinese factories are increasing in dimension. The country alone is home to seven of the ten largest “hubs”, some of which have been able to incorporate several factories belonging to a single industrial owner - yet seven years ago, it didn't even make the Top 10. With 2.18 million vehicles produced in 2014, Chongqing is the principal Chinese car production province. However, overcapacity is starting to be a problem for the Chinese sites, due to the economic downturn which is now reaching China, IHS stresses. Additionally, European factories are starting to return to strength, despite more modest production volumes (320,000 units rolled out of France's largest factory, PSA Sochaux, for example). American factories remain busy due to the upturn in sales, in spite of growing competition from Mexico, led by Nissan Smyrna (650,000 vehicles produced in 2014), which produces more than Chongqing. (Isabelle Lamberty)