Market Trends of Automotive Cylinder Liner Industry
The Passenger Car Segment of the Market to Gain Traction During the Forecast Period
Passenger cars are the most common form of transport in emerging countries. The number of passenger cars is increasing in developing countries with the rise in per capita income, and such factors are likely to impact the automotive cylinder liner market positively. Emerging countries, such as India, are looking for better fuels, like ethanol, for their passenger cars, which may positively impact the market growth.
For instance, in August 2023, Toyota Innova became the world's first flexible fuel vehicle that can run entirely on ethanol. Toyota Motor is projected to become the first automaker in the world to introduce cars powered by 100% ethanol. In August 2023, the Union Minister of India launched a vehicle based on Toyota's most popular passenger car, Innova. Innova became the first model in the world to feature a Bharat Phase VI vehicle with a flexible fuel electric certificate. The launch came a year after the Japanese auto giant introduced Mirai, which uses hydrogen fuel cells.
Increasing emission regulations, penetration of electric vehicles, and lack of fossil fuel reserves due to the toxic impact of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles on the environment could challenge the growth of the market. However, in emerging countries, there needs to be more infrastructure for electric vehicles, and charging facilities are expected to facilitate the expansion of the internal combustion engine market during the forecast period. According to the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA), global new passenger car sales touched 57.4 million in 2022, recording a Y-o-Y growth of 1.9% compared to 2021. Countries such as South Africa and Thailand recorded 19.5% and 10.0% Y-o-Y growth, respectively, in new passenger car sales in 2022 compared to the previous year.
The rising urbanization rate and the shifting preference of consumers toward availing private transportation mediums are anticipated to drive the automotive industry across the world, which, in turn, is expected to drive the demand for the advanced automotive cylinder liner market. According to the World Bank, the urbanization rate in India stood at 36% in 2022, compared to 34% in 2018. As more consumers migrate to urban areas in developing nations, there will be a preference for personal mobility, which, in turn, may lead to the growth of the automotive cylinder liner market across the world.
Asia-Pacific to Hold the Largest Market Share During Forecast Period
The Asia-Pacific automotive cylinder liner market is witnessing elevated sales of cylinder liner products owing to the expanding auto sector of China and India. Both countries are fuelling vehicle sales, generating significant engine demand.
India is one of the major automobile exporters in the region, and strong export growth is expected shortly, seeing its present mobility expansion projects. Furthermore, favorable initiatives by the Indian government to support the automotive industry and the presence of major automakers in its market are assisting in developing the country into one of the major automobile exporters. The automotive industry in the country received a cumulative FDI inflow of approximately USD 33.77 billion between April 2000 and September 2022. The government expects to double the size of the automotive industry to USD 18 billion by 2024. Furthermore, China holds the dominant hand in Asia-Pacific in terms of auto industry throughput and engine production.
In 2022, the total number of vehicles sold in China stood at 26.8 million units, compared to 26.27 million units in 2021, registering a year-on-year growth of 2.2%. The region is witnessing extended investment, expansion, and development, proliferated by key engine manufacturers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). This is expected to mitigate the demand for cylinder liners over the forecast period.
For instance, in March 2022, Harbin Dongan Auto Engine Co. Ltd unveiled its investment plan for 2022 for building a production line for high-efficiency extended-range engines, which was expected to involve machining center, marking machines, tightening machines, gluing machines, and other equipment. The project was planned to be jointly maintained by Harbin Dongan Automotive Engine Manufacturing Co. Ltd, the subsidiary of Harbin Dongan Auto Engine, with a total investment of CNY 72.33 million (USD 10.85 million).
Therefore, with the region's expanding passenger car and commercial vehicle industry, the demand for the automotive cylinder liner market will showcase a rapid surge in the coming years. However, shifting the government's focus to promote the adoption of electric vehicles could act as a major deterrent to the growth of these products in the long run in Asia-Pacific. However, a competitive shift toward electrification of vehicle fleets in the short run is a major challenge for these governments. Therefore, the demand for automotive cylinder liners is expected to remain strong during the forecast period.
