AutoPacific

What AutoPacific does

AutoPacific is a privately held, future-oriented automotive marketing research and product-consulting firm founded in 1986 and headquartered in Long Beach, California, with affiliate offices in Michigan, Wisconsin, and the Carolinas. The company sells syndicated consumer and market intelligence — including the Future Attribute Demand Study (FADS) covering 163+ features across 14,000-18,000 annual new-vehicle intenders, an EV Consumer Insights Study, and a U.S. Replacement Tire Buyer Study — alongside subscription-based competitive intelligence (North American Competitive Battleground) and a 5-year Sales Forecast Service that has achieved 98% accuracy over the past decade. Its custom-research arm has delivered over 400 product clinics and over 4,000 focus groups domestically and internationally, spanning product clinics, pricing studies, driving clinics, and target-buyer analyses.

Under the hood, AutoPacific's technology stack is primarily proprietary research methodology and statistical forecasting, delivered through two platforms: the eAutoPacific subscription portal (Competitive Battleground + Sales Forecast Service) and the forthcoming Future Vehicle Planner, positioned as an "AI Data Assistant." Revenue is generated through subscription fees for syndicated studies and dashboards, plus professional-services fees for custom research and consulting. The go-to-market is sales-led and direct, targeting automotive OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, distributors, and marketers — including GM, Ford, Toyota, Honda, Stellantis, BMW, Magna, and Bridgestone — via dedicated client relationships and a small self-serve layer.

The firm operates with 1-10 employees and is led by President and Chief Analyst Ed Kim (appointed 2022), supported by a senior team with prior tenures at Hyundai Motor America and Magna International. With nearly four decades of continuous operation and no disclosed external funding, AutoPacific is a long-tenured boutique in the automotive insights category, leveraging proprietary data assets and OEM/supplier relationships rather than scale or venture capital to sustain its position.

Name

AutoPacific

Legal name

AutoPacific

Website

https://autopacific.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AutoPacific is a 1986-founded, privately held automotive marketing research and product-consulting firm selling syndicated studies, competitive intelligence dashboards, and custom research to OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and marketers. Its offerings include FADS, EV Consumer Insights, a 98%-accurate sales forecast, and a forthcoming AI assistant.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tustin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Syndicated Studies: Annual syndicated research studies on the automotive industry that are sold to multiple clients. Includes the Future Attribute Demand Study (FADS), EV Consumer Insights Study, and Replacement Tire Buyer Study.
2. North American Competitive Battleground Subscription: Subscription-based access to online competitive intelligence dashboard providing continuously updated vehicle cycle plans and analysis for the U.S. market.
3. Sales Forecast Service (SFS) Subscription: Subscription service providing 5-year sales forecasts for U.S. light vehicle market including alternative powertrain forecasts.
4. Custom Research and Consulting: Proprietary research projects conducted for individual clients including product clinics, focus groups, surveys, driving clinics, and consulting engagements. AutoPacific has conducted over 400 product clinics and over 4,000 focus groups.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

AutoPacific provides automotive marketing research and product consulting through three core service lines: (1) annual syndicated studies covering consumer wants, needs, and future vehicle intentions, (2) subscription-based industry analysis including the North American Competitive Battleground dashboard and the Sales Forecast Service (SFS), and (3) custom proprietary research engagements such as product clinics, focus groups, driving clinics, and pricing clinics. Its offerings serve automotive OEMs, suppliers, distributors, and marketers worldwide.

Product overview

AutoPacific is a future-oriented automotive marketing research and product-consulting firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of syndicated studies, industry analysis tools, and custom research services. The core offerings include the Future Attribute Demand Study (FADS) and EV Consumer Insights Study accessible through the Future Vehicle Planner platform, along with the North American Competitive Battleground and Sales Forecast Service (SFS) accessible via eAutoPacific. Custom research capabilities include product clinics, focus groups, target buyer analysis, driving clinics, and pricing clinics. The company serves automotive manufacturers, distributors, marketers, and suppliers worldwide with expertise spanning market research, product development, and marketing strategy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Future Vehicle Planner: An all-access database providing access to AutoPacific's major Syndicated Studies including Future Attribute Demand Study (FADS) and EV Consumer Insights Study.
• eAutoPacific
• North American Competitive Battleground
• Sales Forecast Service (SFS)

Products and services

• North American Competitive Battleground

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% accuracy in sales forecasting over the past decade
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kelley Blue Book: Kelley Blue Book is a leading automotive research and vehicle valuation brand owned by Cox Automotive, publishing industry forecasts, consumer insights, and pricing data. It is directly comparable to AutoPacific's syndicated consumer demand and forecasting products.
• Urban Science: Urban Science delivers automotive retail and network planning analytics, sales forecasting, and market intelligence to OEMs and dealers. It overlaps with AutoPacific on sales forecasting, dealer network insights, and consumer demand analysis.
• Edmunds: Edmunds provides automotive research, pricing data, consumer reviews, and editorial content for car shoppers. While more consumer-facing, it overlaps with AutoPacific on automotive market research, consumer insights, and pricing/vehicle intelligence services.
• LMC Automotive: LMC Automotive provides global light vehicle production, sales, and powertrain forecasts to OEMs, suppliers, and financial institutions. It is a direct competitor to AutoPacific's Sales Forecast Service, particularly in volume and powertrain forecasting.
• Center for Automotive Research (CAR): CAR is a nonprofit automotive research organization producing industry studies, economic impact analyses, and technology forecasts. It competes with AutoPacific on industry analysis and forward-looking automotive insights delivered to OEMs and policy stakeholders.
• J.D. Power: J.D. Power is the most directly comparable automotive market research firm, offering syndicated quality studies, customer satisfaction benchmarks, and automotive forecasting. Both compete for OEM and supplier research budgets on similar syndicated subscription and custom research models.
• ALG (TrueCar): ALG provides residual value forecasting, automotive analytics, and market insights to OEMs, lessors, and financial institutions. It is directly comparable to AutoPacific's data-driven forecasting and OEM advisory offerings.
• S&P Global Mobility: S&P Global Mobility (formerly IHS Markit) provides automotive forecasting, registration data, and competitive intelligence to OEMs and suppliers. It directly overlaps with AutoPacific's Sales Forecast Service and North American Competitive Battleground offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Cox Automotive: Cox Automotive operates a broad portfolio of automotive data, analytics, and marketplace brands (Kelley Blue Book, Autotrader, Manheim) serving dealers, OEMs, and consumers. It competes with AutoPacific in market intelligence while extending into adjacent verticals like inventory and remarketing.

Emerging players

• Mintel: Mintel is a broader consumer market research firm with growing automotive coverage including consumer trends, vehicle feature demand, and EV adoption insights. It is an emerging competitor in the syndicated automotive consumer insight space where AutoPacific's FADS study operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AutoPacific
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/autopacific

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AutoPacific