Market Trends of Automotive Supercharger Industry
Passengers Cars Segment to Dominate the Market during the Forecast Period
The familiarity with internal combustion engine (ICE) passenger cars and the lack of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in many emerging countries hampers the penetration of EVs. Hence, consumers still prefer availing of ICE-powered cars, which in turn leads to constant innovations in the engine systems of these vehicles to offer higher-powered and more efficient vehicles to customers. Therefore, the increasing demand for higher-powered passenger cars contributes to the surging demand for automotive superchargers across the world. For instance,
In 2022, the share of petrol cars in the overall passenger car sales in India touched 68%, while diesel cars accounted for 19% of the overall sales in the market. Similarly, in Greece, sales of petrol cars accounted for 71.3% of the overall car sales in 2022, while diesel-operated cars accounted for 17.42% during the same period.
Supercharger manufacturers try to stay ahead of the competition by building the most compact products that are lightweight, have greater power output, and have a higher fuel economy. Moreover, these manufacturers are constantly working towards downsizing their supercharger offerings to assist in decreasing the overall curb weight of the vehicle and reducing emissions.
Furthermore, the production of high-powered engines is witnessing a massive surge due to the increasing adoption of luxury vehicles, which, in turn, assists the demand for superchargers. For instance, sales of luxury brands, such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi, touched 2.4 million units, 2.07 million units, and 1.61 million units, respectively, in 2022. Engine manufacturers are expanding their business potential to meet the rising demand for gasoline and diesel vehicle sales across the geography. For instance:
In November 2022, French automotive giant Renault Groupe discussed its plans to focus on producing IC engines during its longer-term vision. The company has signed a non-binding framework agreement with GeelyHoldings for establishing production units, supply power trains, and IC engines for upcoming mild hybrid and IC engine vehicles.
In April 2022, Toyota announced an investment of USD 383 million in four of its US manufacturing plants to support the production of its four-cylinder engines, including hybrid electric vehicles. In addition, Toyota Alabama in Huntsville plant received USD 222 million to expand 114,000 sq ft and install a new four-cylinder production line to produce engines for both combustion and hybrid electric powertrains.
With the rapid enhancement in engine technology and the rising demand in the aftermarket, there will exist a massive demand for automotive superchargers during the forecast period.
Asia-Pacific Region to become the Fastest Growing Market during the Forecast Period
Asia-Pacific is expected to become the fastest-growing market, as almost 50% of the vehicles sold globally are from this region due to the presence of major automotive hubs like China, India, and Japan, which is further anticipated to grow in the coming years. The need for higher-powered engines has been increasing year-on-year. Asia has witnessed a change in the trend toward downsizing engines, wherein equipping a V6 with a supercharger is found to be more efficient than equipping a vehicle with a V8 engine.
Further, the Asia-Pacific region is witnessing impressive vehicle sales, which have taken the overall engine and, subsequently, supercharger demand on the positive side. For instance:
According to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), total passenger car sales in October 2023 touched 248.8 thousand units, showcasing a Y-o-Y growth of 11.4% compared to the same period in 2022. Subsequently, total passenger car sales between January and October 2023 touched 2,066.4 thousand units, witnessing a Y-o-Y growth of 7.5% compared to the same period in 2022.
Similarly, passenger car sales in India touched 341,377 units in October 2023, compared to 291,113 units in October 2022, representing a Y-o-Y growth of 17.2%. Simultaneously, according to the Japan Automotive Dealers Association and Japan Light Motor Vehicle and Motorcycle Association, in October 2023, sales with engine displacements above 660cc increased 14.9% to 243,144 units, while vehicles with engine displacements below 660cc increased 4.7% to 154,528 units compared to the previous month.
OEMs have been focusing on developing technologically advanced powered engines to gain high torque and performance, which is being catered to by integrating advanced superchargers in these vehicles. The emergence of multi-fuel engine technology is expected to provide lucrative opportunities to the active players in the automotive supercharger market across the Asia-Pacific region during the forecast period.
