Automotive Roof Control Module Market: Current Analysis and Forecast (2022-2028)

A control module basically consists of sensors, controllers, actuators, and other control modules and they all operate as a single entity to perform a control function. There are different kinds of control modules that are used in the automobile industry such as engine control module (ECM), power train control module (PCM), and body control module (BCM) and one such BCM used in vehicles is the roof control module. Its basic function is to ensure safe operations of opening and closing sunroofs and convertible roofs.

The roof control module market is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 9% during the forecast period owing to the increasing demand for luxury vehicles and SUVs. The market is mainly driven because of rise in demand of passenger vehicles across the globe, in emerging markets the rise in demand is because of the reasons like rapid urbanization, rising earnings and availability of easy financing because of the digitization of banking and financial sectors, whereas in developed economies the trend like premiumization and shift towards electrification is at play. For instance, according to the international energy agency(IEA), Global sales of electric cars have increased by around 60% in 2022, surpassing 10 million for the first time. More than one in four cars sold in China were electric, over one in five cars were electric in the European Union and nearly one in ten cars sold in the United States were electric in 2022.

Based on vehicle type, the market is segmented into hatchbacks, sedans, and SUVs. The SUV segment has seen the maximum growth and is also expected to grow at a significant CAGR among all the other segments because of the benefits offered by the SUVs such as greater manoeuvrability, more luxury, larger space, multiple drive train options and off-road capabilities, furthermore improving economic activity globally is leading to rising in employment and earnings hence increasing disposable income in the hands of people and this is also reflected in the sales data of the SUVs. For instance, according to the international energy agency(IEA), In 2022, SUVs accounted for about 46% of global car sales, with the majority growth coming in the United States, India and Europe furthermore from over 400 electric cars models available on the global market in 2022, out of which almost 55% were SUVs which is a significant rise from 40% four years ago.

Based on roof type, the market is segmented into the regular sunroof, panoramic sunroof, and convertible roof. The panoramic sunroof market is expected to grow at a significant rate because cars with panoramic sunroof appeal to consumers of all ages and also people who desire a convertible style experience without losing the whole roof structure can have fresh air at the push of the button, also having panoramic sunroof helps people feel less claustrophobic during long drives, and area inside the cabin feels more spacious because of the natural light coming in. And this can also be seen in the manufacturer's mergers and acquisitions that they are doing to cater this rising demand. For instance, in august 2022, Webasto acquired Carlex Glass Luxembourg SA in Grevenmacher (Luxembourg), the site that manufactures glass elements for passenger cars.

Based on technology type, the market is bifurcated into LIN in vehicle communication and CAN in vehicle communication. Among these LIN in vehicle communication is mostly used in automotive roof control module as LIN is single wired based interface which reduces cost and complexity of implementation and also LIN is best and most suited alternative of CAN for applications which do not need high bandwidth such as sunroof sensors, light sensors, wiper sensors, climate control sensors, engine fan cooling sensors etc.

For a better understanding of the market adoption of the automotive roof control module industry, the market is analyzed based on its worldwide presence in the countries such as North America (U.S., Canada, Rest of North America), Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, Rest of Asia-Pacific), Rest of World. Asia-Pacific dominated the automotive roof control module market in the year 2022 and also is expected to grow at a significant rate which can be seen on the sales and production data of the passenger vehicles where in 2022 out of almost 58 million car sold worldwide almost 30 million cars were sold only in china, india, and japan accounting for almost 50% of total sales. For instance, according to Webasto Group, the sunroof has become a very popular vehicle equipment feature in India, and demand is steadily growing. International car manufacturers with Indian subsidiaries as well as local OEMs are increasingly looking for partners to produce openable roof systems within the country. Webasto has been in the Indian market for around ten years and has so far supplied smaller volumes of roofs from its former site in Pune and from a plant in South Korea to India, after receiving several large-volume orders, the company decided to build a new, significantly larger plant ten kilometers from its previous location. The 18,000-square-meter site in Phulgaon (Pune) opened in early January 2021, this new plant has a production capacity for 400,000 roofs per year, and due to the high demand, a second plant for the production of roof systems for the Indian market is already being planned near the coast in the southwest of the country and In total, Webasto is investing around EUR 40 million(USD 42 million) in India by 2025.

Some of the major players operating in the market include: CONTINENTAl AG; DENSO CORPORATION.; Robert Bosch GmbH; Beijing Jingwei Hirain Technologies Co., Inc.; Webasto Group; Pektron Group Ltd; Renesas Electronics Corporation; AISIN CORPORATION; GAHH, LLC; and, The Haartz Corporation.