Global Automotive Semiconductor Market - 2022-2029

Market Overview

The global automotive semiconductor market size was worth US$ XX million in 2021 and is estimated to reach US$ XX million by 2029, growing at a CAGR of XX % during the forecast period (2022-2029).

Semiconductors are a sort of electrical component that can conduct electricity under certain conditions. Automobiles employ semiconductors to verify that the related component works correctly under all conditions. Semiconductors used in cars are made of silicon and germanium, which are the primary components required for the proper operation of automotive electronics.

Semiconductors installed in automobiles assist in controlling many functions, such as maintaining the vehicle's air conditioner system and assuring the vehicle's safety. Furthermore, advancements in vehicle-based technology, such as the introduction of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), telematics & infotainment and an increased inclination toward adopting electric vehicles, contribute to the global growth of the automotive industry semiconductor market.

Market Dynamics

Rapid advances in the automotive sector, increased demand for automobile safety features, and innovative technologies for advanced user interface (UI) fuel global market growth. Furthermore, constraints like operational failures in extreme climatic conditions, high initial cost, and complex construction are barriers to global market growth. However, the rise in demand for electric and hybrid vehicles and advanced technological improvement and innovation in ADAS present good chances for market expansion throughout the projection period.

Increase in the automotive industry

In the automotive sector, a semiconductor is designed to regulate the fail-safe system, manage electrical control unit functions and automotive fault-tolerant systems, where it handles the error that occurs in the vehicle (accelerator, anti-lock brake interface and broken lights) and informs the microcontrollers and safety system installed throughout cars. For example, if a car loses traction on snow-covered roads, it would highlight fault tolerance.

In such cases, the incident is detected by sensors and semiconductor devices, which then activate anti-lock braking when the driver uses the brakes. As a result, semiconductors are an essential component of the automotive industry and rapid expansion in the automotive industry is predicted to complement market growth during the projection period.

The increased need for automotive safety features

Due to increased road accidents globally, demand for safety features such as parking assistance, collision avoidance systems, lane departure warnings, traction control, electronic stability control, tire pressure monitors, airbags and telematics is increasing. Automotive semiconductors are a crucial component utilized in several advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) technologies, allowing ADAS systems to work quickly and identify and classify items in the vehicle's path, alerting the driver about the immediate surroundings and road conditions.

Furthermore, based on calculations done by semiconductors and other components, these systems can autonomously decelerate or stop the car based on road conditions. Road traffic accidents are a leading cause of death worldwide and there has been a significant increase in the number of fatalities in recent years. For example, about 1.3 million people die in road traffic accidents each year, according to a World Health Organization research published in 2021.

Moreover, youths have a greater rate of fatal road traffic injuries. These reasons are causing a surge in demand for vehicle safety measures. Automobile companies are developing and introducing safety features to fulfill the needs of their customers. For example, HELLA (a business that manufactures state-of-the-art lighting and electronics components) announced a manufacturing schedule for the latest 77 GHz radar technology in February 2020.

Operational failures in adverse weather conditions

Operational problems hamper the automotive semiconductor market in extreme climatic conditions such as extreme cold and excessive heat. When exposed to high temperatures, semiconductors tend to melt or crack, increasing resistance and making the signal too weak, resulting in failures. When adjusted to an appropriate temperature, the resistance decreases and becomes steady.

Extreme cold is also bad for semiconductors since it causes them to stop working. Its typical operating temperature is -25°C and its maximum temperature are +150°C. As a result, countries like Russia and Canada choose fewer semiconductors. As a result, consumers are shifting toward alternative electronic components like microcontrollers, ICs and others, affecting the growth of the automotive semiconductor market.

COVID-19 Impact Analysis

The COVID-19 outbreak has disrupted global business and economic activity. The outbreak will impact the worldwide market for automotive semiconductors in the short term. Furthermore, the automobile industry faces several obstacles: decreased purchasing power due to COVID-19, charging infrastructure improvements and consumer expectations of future technological advancements to lower car pricing and provide a greater range.

Furthermore, according to the Korea Automotive Technology Institute, or Katech, the global scarcity of automotive semiconductors, which began around the end of 2020, may continue to impact the global vehicle industry in the first half of 2022. Some businesses may continue to be affected even after 2023. One of the effects of COVID-19 has been an increase in the average semiconductor value per car sold.

For example, in some regions of Europe, the government solely offers incentives for electric automobiles. The distinct from the "cash for clunkers" plan implemented in some areas following the 2009 financial crisis to get outdated cars off the road benefited the selling of smaller, less technologically advanced vehicles in many cases.

Segment Analysis

By vehicle type, the global automotive semiconductor market is segmented into passenger cars, lightweight vehicles, heavyweight vehicles and others.

Various government initiatives supporting passenger cars growth

As mobility-on-demand trends rise, taxis and passenger autos focus more on greener technologies. Various governments are taking initiatives to increase electric vehicles in public transportation to reduce CO2 emissions by providing incentives and tax breaks for e-passenger vehicles such as e-buses. In India, for example, the government has adopted several efforts, such as the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP), the Car Mission Plan and others, to enable long-term growth in the automotive industry and reduce emissions and oil dependency. To combat pollution, the government intends to bring local rules in line with international standards by 2020, allowing India to transition from BS-4 emissions to BS-6 emissions (EUR 6 equivalent).

Furthermore, India has established Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency guidelines that require manufacturers to boost their fuel efficiency by 30 percent or more beginning in 2022. Companies such as Toshiba and NXP Semiconductor improve fuel-saving technology in passenger vehicles by, among other things, storing the electric energy created during deceleration utilizing battery management systems. Due to the broad deployment of the technologies, there will be a growing need for self-driving automobiles. It is where e-drive systems come in to help with vehicle weight reduction. It gives an excellent opportunity for automakers to implement various solutions, such as discrete power devices, integrated circuits, sensors and other components, to improve passenger vehicles.

Increased demand for safety systems, on the other hand, can be attributed to the advent of ADAS, or automated emergency braking systems, as well as improved road safety standards, which are driving up demand for automotive semiconductor components globally. For example, many North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific countries have established legislation requiring various kinds of ADAS in passenger vehicles. The European Union, for example, has declared Vision Zero, a plan to decrease traffic fatalities to zero by 2050. The authority wants to cut deaths and injuries in half by 2030.

Geographical Analysis

The increasing automotive production in Asia-Pacific

Increased automobile manufacturing and ongoing partnerships between automotive OEMs and semiconductor manufacturers drive Asia-Pacific automotive semiconductor market. Cost & fuel efficiency are no longer the most significant aspects to consider when purchasing an automobile; now, the vehicle's comfort and elegance are more vital. Comfort and elegance might be attributable to global automakers' increasing demand for luxury and semi-luxury vehicles, compelling them to install more electronic components and driving Asia-Pacific automotive semiconductors market. As a result, Asia-Pacific automotive semiconductor sector represents a prospective market region.

The increased demand for electric vehicles is predicted to fuel the rapid expansion of Asia-Pacific automotive semiconductor sector. Automobile manufacturers must continue inventing, building and developing self-driving cars, piqued many buyers' interest in crucial automotive manufacturing countries. Several factors, including technological advancements, consumer willingness to accept fully-automated vehicles, pricing and suppliers' and OEMs' capacity to address significant concerns about vehicle safety, are expected to impact the growth trajectory of fully-autonomous automobiles significantly.

China is a significant contributor to the Asia-Pacific automotive semiconductor market. This scenario results from a rise in vehicle safety features and increased entertainment applications such as navigation. With a sales share of around 94 percent, domestic OEMs now dominate the Chinese EV business (As per IEA). China has mandated that automakers produce 100 percent electric or hybrid vehicles, accounting for 10% of new vehicle sales. In addition, some major cities and provinces are imposing harsher laws. Aside from that, the country's manufacturers aim to reduce their current GHG emissions by optimizing powertrain system design and focusing on lightweight and compact powertrain systems that give higher performance.

Japan's semiconductor industry is propelled by raw materials, equipment and small active-passive components. In terms of upstream semiconductor materials, Japan also has significant advantages. Semiconductor materials must meet high purity standards that Japan can only meet. Furthermore, while the country's semiconductor performance is unknown, its extensive industry experience is expected to fuel its growth. As a result, such advancements may aid in developing the Japanese automotive semiconductor market.

Competitive Landscape

The automotive semiconductor market is moderately competitive. For scalability, the competitive climate necessitates technology updates, large capital requirements and investment in research and development. For example, ROHM announced the development of new SerDes ICs and PMICs primarily for car satellite cameras to enable Advanced Driver Assistance Systems in September 2021. (ADAS). The goods will aid in the reduction of power consumption, electromagnetic noise and the compacting of ADAS system modules.

In July 2021, STMicroelectronics announced an anchor partnership with startup Autobahn; Autobahn's anchor partnership includes powerful car brands and vendors. With STMicroelectronics support through semiconductors, the main emphasis will be smart mobility for electric and intelligent connected driving vehicles.

Key players operating in the global market for automotive semiconductors include NXP Semiconductor NV, Infineon Technologies AG, Renesas Electronics Corporation, STMicroelectronics NV, Toshiba Corporation, Texas Instrument Inc., Robert Bosch GmbH, Micron Technology, Onsemi (Semiconductor Components Industries LLC) And Analog Devices Inc.

Renesas Electronics Corporation

Overview: Renesas Electronics Corporation provides trustworthy embedded design innovation and comprehensive semiconductor solutions that enable billions of connected, intelligent devices to improve people's lives and work. Renesas, a global leader in microcontrollers, analog, power and SoC technologies, offers complete solutions for a wide range of automotive, industrial, home electronics, office automation and information communication technology applications, helping define an infinite future.

Product Portfolio: Renesas Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Renesas Electronics Corporation, manages Japan's six semiconductor front-end production factories (Naka, Kawashiri, Saijo, Takasaki and Yamaguchi).

Key Development: Dialog Semiconductor plc (owned by Resenan Electronics Corporation), a provider of highly integrated power management, AC/DC power conversion, charging and Bluetooth low energy technologies, launched the SLG46620-A, the automotive industry's first Configurable Mixed-Signal IC (CMIC), in 2019. Manufacturers in the advanced automobile market are forced to integrate the newest safety, comfort and self-driving technologies, which necessitate an ever-increasing number of Integrated Circuits (ICs). The highly adaptable SLG46620-A addresses these issues by introducing Dialog's GreenPAKTM platform to the automotive arena, resulting in lower project costs, a faster time to market and unified development flows.