---
title: "Six Car Makers Make the List of Top 20 R&D Spenders"
description: "Consulting group says industry vulnerable to economic nationalism that it sees as threatening global innovation."
date: "2017-11-06"
modified: "2017-11-06"
authors:
  - name: "Kate Gibson"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/kate-gibson"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/article/15801/six-car-makers-make-the-list-of-top-20-rd-spenders"
categories:
  - "News"
tags:
  - "Amazon"
  - "General Motors"
  - "r&d"
---

# Six Car Makers Make the List of Top 20 R&D Spenders

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2017/10/20171016-volkswagencarstoragehero.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Volkswagen poured $12.1 billion into research and development in 2017, a decline from $12.5 billion last year, but still propelling the German automaker into fifth place in a ranking of global companies by their R&D expenditures.

[Amazon](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/14875/nissan-owners-can-now-start-their-cars-with-amazon-echo>) stood at the top of the heap with the online retailer's $16.1 into R&D, according to the [Global Innovation 1000 report](<https://www.strategyand.pwc.com/innovation1000#GlobalKeyFindingsTabs2>) from PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Number 11, [Toyota](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/9143/toyota-spending-1-3-billion-on-camry-plant>)'s R&D spending in 2017 came to $9.3 billion, dropping from $9.5 billion in 2016.

In the 13th slot, General Motors devoted $8.1 billion to R&D this year, up from $7.5 billion last year.

Next up among automakers, [Ford](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/8411/ford-introduces-pedestrian-detection-technology-in-2018-mustang>) held the 15th spot, with $7.3 billion in R&D spending, an increase from $6.7 billion in 2016.

Daimler's $6.9 billion (up from $6.3 billion in 2016) put it in the 16th slot, and Honda's $6.2 billion had it near the bottom, ranking 19. It spent $5.9 billion on R&D in 2016.

However, the study cautioned that "the flow of talent, investment and ideas that has boosted companies' global R&D efforts may soon be impeded by the rise of economic nationalism."

The study's Net Risk Index, which contrasts respondents' forecasts of how nations will withstand its "structural risk, found U.S. R&D to be the most vulnerable to political rhetoric, followed by the United Kingdom, China, Mexico and India.

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