This study examines the shifting role of business analytics within the automotive sector, focusing on research from 2020 to 2025. Given the rapid rise of digitalization, artificial intelligence, and data-driven methods, the authors aim to chart prevailing research directions, highlight key thematic concerns, and point out overlooked areas. Drawing from nearly 300 Scopus-indexed articles and conference proceedings, the analysis leverages VOS viewers to visualize the research landscape through network, overlay, and density maps. The findings reveal five main thematic clusters, with recurring attention to decision making, machine learning, Industry 4.0, and the Internet of Things. Much of the literature centers on operational and strategic improvements within automotive organizations. That said, topics such as electric vehicles, smart cities, and customer analytics remain notably underrepresented. While the field is clearly moving toward sustainable and intelligent systems, there is a distinct lack of focus on consumer behavior and analytics specific to electric vehicles. In summary, business analytics appears deeply embedded in core automotive functions, yet there is a clear need for future research to address consumer engagement and regional challenges particularly in emerging markets. It is important to note that the study’s scope was limited to English-language publications within the business and management domain, potentially leaving out significant technical contributions.
Othman et al. (Fri,) studied this question.