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North Carolina is an Auto State

240.0K Jobs

Powered by North Carolina’s Auto Industry

Industry Impact

Every Job Tells a Story

North Carolina’s auto industry supports an estimated 240,026 jobs — from assembly lines to engineering labs, supply chain logistics to dealership floors.

443.1K

New Vehicles Sold

$67,764

Average labor income per auto job

$16.27B

Annual Labor Income

4%

Share of North Carolina Jobs Supported

4%

of Economy

$27.22B

State GDP

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and IHS Markit / S&P Global Mobility — North Carolina, 2024.

Automaker Facilities

Built in North Carolina

Facility Organization City State Type
Charlotte OnStar Call Center General Motors Company Charlotte North Carolina R&D / Engineering
Charlotte Regional Office Ford Motor Company Charlotte North Carolina Offices & Training Centers
GM Financial -- Huntersville Collection Center General Motors Company Huntersville North Carolina Offices & Training Centers
GM Financial -- Raleigh Branch Office General Motors Company Raleigh North Carolina Offices & Training Centers
GM Financial International Treasury Office General Motors Company Charlotte North Carolina Offices & Training Centers
Subaru Service Training Center-Charlotte Subaru Huntersville North Carolina Offices & Training Centers
Customer Care & Aftersales -- Parts Distribution Center -- Charlotte General Motors Company Charlotte North Carolina Logistics
Greensboro High Velocity Center Ford Motor Company Mebane North Carolina Logistics
Source: Alliance for Automotive Innovation — Member Facility Directory, North Carolina, 2024.

Tax Revenue Generation

$1.85B

in state tax revenue generated by the automotive industry’s economic activity.

5%

of total state tax revenue

$1.45B

Federal income taxes

$3.65B

Vehicle use tax / licenses / fees

$604.94M

New vehicle sales taxes

$231.14M

Parts & services sales tax

$51.94M

Corporate profits taxes

$353.89M

Used vehicle sales taxes

Source: Multi-industry contribution analysis of the economic impact of automotive manufacturing, selling, repairing, renting, and additional maintenance modeled using IMPLAN economic analysis data software, 2023 data year.

Vehicles Sold

443.1K

2024 Vehicle Sales

$20.16B

The average age of North Carolina vehicles is 12.7 years

Compared to the national average of 12.2 years

Source: Compiled by Alliance for Automotive Innovation with data provided by S&P Global Mobility, sales figures represent new vehicle registrations between January 1, 2024 - December 31, 2024; average age compiled by Alliance for Automotive Innovation with data provided by S&P Global Mobility, vehicles in operation as of December 31, 2024; New vehicle sales revenue derived from NADA Data.

New vehicle purchases and registrations

443.1K

new vehicles sold across North Carolina in 2024

Purchases ByBody Style

  • 256.8K UVs (57.96%)
  • 86.4K Pickups (19.50%)
  • 82.3K Cars (18.58%)
  • 17.6K Vans/Minivans (3.97%)

Purchases ByPowertrain

  • 410.7K ICE / Hybrid (92.69%)
  • 26.8K Electric (6.05%)
  • 5.6K Plug-in Hybrid (1.26%)

Source: Registration figures compiled by Alliance for Automotive Innovation with data provided by S&P Global Mobility as of December 31, 2024; new purchase figures compiled by Alliance for Automotive Innovation with data provided by S&P Global Mobility representing new vehicle registrations between January 1, 2024 – December 31, 2024.

Activity at Ports

North Carolina’s Auto Trade Footprint

North Carolina ports moved $271.30M in automotive trade in 2024 alone, led by exports to United Kingdom. Past-decade totals reach $3.83B.

2024 Imports

2024 Exports

$156.00M

Vehicles & parts entering NC ports

$115.30M

Vehicles & parts shipped from NC ports

Past Decade Totals

$1.77B

Vehicles & parts entering NC ports

$2.07B

Vehicles & parts shipped from NC ports

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. International Trade Statistics — North Carolina ports of entry, 2024.

Fueling

North Carolina’s Fueling Network

Gasoline still anchors the network statewide, with 1,748 public EV charging stations across North Carolina.

Gasoline Stations

5,962

EV Level 2 Charging Ports

3,407

EV DC Fast Charging Ports

1,325

Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Alternative Fuels Data Center — North Carolina, 2024.

Consumers

66% of North Carolina households own their homes, and 71% of workers drive alone to work.

Median Household Income

$70.8K

Owner Occupied Housing

66%

Rental Occupied Housing

34%

Commutingto Work

  • Drove Alone to Work (71%)
  • Worked from Home (16%)
  • Carpooled (9%)
  • Other (3%)
  • Public Transit (1%)

HousingType

  • Single-Family (65%)
  • Mobile / RV / Boat (11%)
  • 20+ Unit Buildings (6%)
  • 1-Unit (Attached) (5%)
  • 2-4 Units (4%)
  • 5-9 Units (4%)
  • 10-19 Units (4%)

Source: Figures compiled by Alliance for Automotive Innovation with data provided U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 2023.

Employment

Jobs Across the State

Headquarters, assembly plants, R&D centers, and supplier operations across the state — led by North Carolina’s largest automotive employers.

Source: Alliance for Automotive Innovation — Member Facility Directory, North Carolina, 2024.

  • 24

    Employees

    Ford Motor Company

    Greensboro High Velocity Center

  • 20

    Employees

    Ford Motor Company

    Charlotte Regional Office

  • 4

    Employees

    Subaru

    Subaru Service Training Center-Charlotte

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