Engineering a career in China

As the demand for personal mobility continues to grow, so too does the demand for qualified engineers to develop the technologies that go into those vehicles.

The automotive market in China has grown considerably in the past decade, with light passenger vehicle sales in China growing approximately 30% per year on average since 1991. Yet today there is still only about one car for every 100 people in China, compared to about 40 cars per 100 people in North America, according to “China's Automotive Aftermarket” report released by Technomic Asia, an international strategic consultancy based in Shanghai.

That figure for China is sure to increase as vehicle sales continue to move upward, albeit at a slower pace. Growth for 2004 is estimated to be at 15%, according to Kent Kedl, Executive Director of Technomic Asia. That would push the number of passenger vehicles sold to around 2.7 million units. Double-digit growth is expected through 2010, said Kedl.