20:32 17-11-2025

Automakers beyond cars: how brands expand into new industries

Automotive brands stopped being just carmakers a long time ago.

Take Toyota: the company develops housing under Toyota Home, builds energy‑efficient houses, and sells boats through Toyota Marine. And let’s not forget Toyota Industries, the world’s largest manufacturer of forklifts.

Tesla has effectively become a technology holding. Its portfolio spans Powerwall, Megapack, solar roofs, a charging network, the Optimus robot, and even merchandise like mugs and belt buckles. Looking ahead, AI products may well become the company’s main line of business.

Beyond cars, Peugeot makes bicycles and markets Peugeot Saveurs kitchen gear—from salt mills to coffee grinders. BMW, for its part, expands financial services and a design studio, and produces accessories, bicycles, and even surfboards.

Honda stands out with a mix of cars, motorcycles, generators, and aviation—the brand produces the HondaJet private aircraft. Porsche owns Studio F.A. Porsche, a design house behind watches, accessories, and electronics.

Subaru remains a significant player in aviation: the corporation supplies components for Boeing and the 412EPX helicopter. Mitsubishi is split across several businesses—from heavy industry and consumer electronics to its automotive arm. Hyundai is just as diverse, spanning robotics and armored vehicles, including the new hydrogen-powered K3 tank.

In short, carmakers are morphing into multi‑industry corporations, with vehicles now just one slice of a much larger enterprise. Judging by how confidently these brands carry their design and engineering DNA into adjacent fields, this isn’t a side hustle—it’s the shape of their future.