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The automotive composites market is witnessing notable trends that underscore the evolving landscape of the automotive industry. Composites, which typically include materials like carbon fiber, glass fiber, and resins, are gaining prominence as key components in vehicle manufacturing. One significant trend is the increasing adoption of automotive composites to achieve lightweighting in vehicles. With a growing emphasis on fuel efficiency, emission reduction, and electric mobility, automakers are turning to composites to replace traditional materials like steel and aluminum, thereby reducing the overall weight of vehicles and enhancing their performance.
Due to its excellent dimensional stability, composite materials have been increasingly used in the automotive industry in recent years. High-performance properties such as shape retention, resistance to corrosion in dry and wet conditions, ease of manufacturing, and low weight make composites preferred materials for the automotive industry. The growing demand for lightweight components drives the market for automotive composites to reduce vehicle emissions and enhance fuel efficiency.
Moreover, the market is experiencing a surge in the use of composites in electric and hybrid vehicles. The lightweight nature of composites contributes to extended battery range and improved energy efficiency in electric vehicles. As the automotive industry transitions towards electrification, composites play a crucial role in addressing the unique challenges associated with electric vehicle design, including battery weight, aerodynamics, and structural integrity. This trend aligns with global efforts to mitigate the environmental impact of transportation and drive sustainable mobility solutions.
Additionally, there is a growing focus on thermoplastic composites in the automotive sector. Thermoplastic composites offer advantages such as faster processing times, recyclability, and the ability to form complex shapes, making them suitable for various automotive applications. Automakers are increasingly incorporating thermoplastic composites in interior components, body panels, and structural elements to achieve both lightweighting and design flexibility. This trend reflects the industry's commitment to adopting advanced materials that align with circular economy principles.
Furthermore, the market is influenced by the development of composites with enhanced properties, such as improved strength, durability, and thermal resistance. Innovations in composite formulations and manufacturing processes contribute to the production of high-performance materials that meet the stringent safety and quality standards of the automotive industry. The continuous evolution of composite materials allows automakers to explore new design possibilities and address specific challenges in vehicle engineering.
The automotive composites market is also witnessing increased collaboration between material suppliers and automotive manufacturers. Strategic partnerships and collaborations aim to accelerate the development and adoption of composites in the automotive sector. This collaboration facilitates the integration of composite materials into existing manufacturing processes, ensuring seamless implementation and overcoming potential barriers to entry.
Despite these positive trends, challenges exist within the automotive composites market. Cost considerations remain a significant factor, as the production of composite materials can be more expensive than traditional materials. However, ongoing research and development efforts focus on optimizing manufacturing processes and reducing the cost of composite materials, making them more competitive in the automotive market.
Automotive Composites Market Highlights:
Global Automotive Composites Market Overview
Automotive Composites Market Size was valued at USD 7.90 billion in 2023. The Automotive Composites market is projected to grow from USD 8.78 Billion in 2024 to USD 18.46 billion by 2032, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.73% during the forecast period (2024 - 2032). Increased demand for lightweight and fuel-efficient vehicles is the key market driver enhancing market growth.
Source: Secondary Research, Primary Research, MRFR Database, and Analyst Review
Automotive Composites Market Trends
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The increase in demand for lightweight and fuel-efficient vehicles is driving the market growth
The automotive industry is focusing on stringent regulations such as the Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) standards and the European Emission Standards (EES) laid by the governments of the US and Europe, respectively, for vehicle manufacturers. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the transportation industry in the US accounts for 27% of greenhouse gas emissions. The US government has made it critical for automakers to follow average miles per gallon vehicle standards. Thus, US automakers are concerned about producing lightweight vehicles to reduce battery weight and enhance the fuel efficiency of vehicles. Car manufacturers are adopting new lightweight materials to comply with government regulations to manufacture their products. Composites are considered the best lightweight substitutes over traditional heavy materials such as steel and aluminum to fabricate a car body. This factor is driving the market CAGR.
Additionally, the market for automotive composites is driven by the heavy demand for lightweight components in automotive parts for better fuel efficiency and reduced emissions to comply with the EU legislation. Composites offer weight reduction benefits by 15-20% using glass fiber composites and 25-40% for carbon fiber composites, compared with other structural metallic materials such as steel, iron, and aluminum. Moreover, to support the usage of composites in the automotive sector, various public-private partnership initiatives have already been launched in EU member states. Such initiatives include the establishment of composites and automotive lightweight materials innovation clusters and collaborations with the automotive and chemical industry to support the investment with supply chain analysis of the automotive carbon fiber composites market. Moreover, many experts consider that electric vehicles will allow higher costs per kilo of weight saved in vehicle weight reduction strategies. Normal IC engine-driven cars can only afford to pay 2-3 per kg of weight saved, but electric vehicles can save 7-8/kg. General vehicles consume more energy while accelerating in the standard drive cycles and can recover more kinetic energy through brake energy recovery. A lower-weight vehicle body allows downsizing batteries while maintaining range in electric vehicles. Reducing vehicle body and battery pack weight leads to a compounding effect on weight reduction of the overall vehicle by enabling the downsizing of other parts, such as the brake system and driven train parts. In ICE-driven vehicles, the lower weight reduces emissions and improves performance at equal drive train power and torque levels. Thus, these drive the Automotive Composites market revenue.
Automotive Composites Market Segment Insights
Automotive Composites Fiber Type Insights
The Automotive Composites market segmentation, based on fiber type, includes glass and carbon fiber. Glass fiber dominates the market; the glass fiber increasing need for cost-effective and lighter vehicles is driving the metal substitution in the automotive industry. Alternative materials, such as glass-fiber-reinforced plastic (GFRP), are increasingly used in manufacturing lightweight automobile parts, including body panels, doors, roofs, frame segments, and seating systems. With its desirable physical properties and major advantages over steel, glass fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP) are used in many automotive industry applications.
Figure1: Automotive Composites Market, by Fiber Type, 2022 & 2032 (USD billion) 
Source: Secondary Research, Primary Research, MRFR Database, and Analyst Review
Fiber Manufacturing Process Insights
Based on the manufacturing process, the Automotive Composites market segmentation includes compression, injection, and resin transfer molding. The compression molding dominated the market; compression molding dominated the market; because the compression molding process uses high pressure to form parts from the material. The force and heat applied during the process must be carefully measured and monitored to produce the desired shape.
Fiber Application Insights
Based on application, the Automotive Composites market segmentation includes exterior, interior, and powertrain. The exterior dominated the market, owing to the increased application of composites in external components such as bumper beams, fenders, front-end modules, door panels, and hoods. Furthermore, composites in exterior parts improve durability, ensure longevity, and reduce automobile maintenance costs.
Automotive Composites Regional Insights
By Region, the study provides market insights into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World. The Asia-Pacific Automotive Composites Market area will dominate, owing to rapidly expanding application industries in this Region. Moreover, China’s Automotive Composites market held the largest market share, and the Indian Automotive Composites market was the fastest-growing market in the Asia-Pacific region.
Further, the major countries studied in the market report are The U.S., Canada, German, France, the UK, Italy, Spain, China, Japan, India, Australia, South Korea, and Brazil.
Figure2: AUTOMOTIVE COMPOSITES MARKET SHARE BY REGION 2022 (%) 
Source: Secondary Research, Primary Research, MRFR Database, and Analyst Review
Europe's Automotive Composites market accounts for the second-largest market share due to the process innovation, improving R&D, and expansion of automobile production in this Region. Further, the German Automotive Composites market held the largest market share, and the UK Automotive Composites market was the fastest-growing market in the European Region
North America is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR from 2023 to 2032. This is due to rising awareness among the population regarding the benefits of using wind energy is also expected to drive the wind sector market growth.
Automotive Composites Key Market Players& Competitive Insights
Leading market players are investing heavily in research and development to expand their product lines, which will help the Automotive Composites market, grow even more. Market participants are also undertaking various strategic activities to expand their footprint, with important market developments including new product launches, contractual agreements, mergers and acquisitions, higher investments, and collaboration with other organizations. The Automotive Composites industry must offer cost-effective items to expand and survive in a more competitive and rising market climate.
Manufacturing locally to minimize operational costs is one of the key business tactics manufacturer’s uses in the Automotive Composites industry to benefit clients and increase the market sector. In recent years, the Automotive Composites industry has offered some of the most significant medical advantages. Major players in the Automotive Composites market, including TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC. (Japan), SGL Carbon SE (Germany), TEIJIN LIMITED (Japan), Mitsubishi Chemical Holding Corporation (Japan), Magna International Inc. (Canada), UFP Technologies, Inc. (US), and Cytec Industries Inc. (US)and others, are attempting to increase market demand by investing in research and development operations.
Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, or MCC, is a Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation subsidiary. It is a Japanese corporation that merged with Mitsubishi Pharma Corporation in 2005 to create Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation. Mitsubishi Chemical is the largest chemical corporation based in Japan. Mitsubishi Chemical Co., Ltd. announced the development of a new carbon fiber prepreg that can be used as a part of an automotive engine.
As a leading producer of carbon fiber reinforcements and resin systems and the world leader in honeycomb manufacturing for the commercial aerospace industry, Hexcel is creating a better world through lightweight solutions. Hexcel joined ASCEND Project, aiming to improve high-rate manufacturing and processing technologies to develop lightweight advanced composite materials for the automotive and aerospace industry.
Key Companies in the Automotive Composites market include
- TORAY INDUSTRIES INC. (Japan)
- SGL Carbon SE (Germany)
- TEIJIN LIMITED (Japan)
- Mitsubishi Chemical Holding Corporation (Japan)
- Hexcel Corporation (US)
- Magna International Inc. (Canada)
- PLASAN CARBON COMPOSITES (US)
- Solvay (Belgium)
- GURIT (Switzerland)
- UFP Technologies Inc. (US)
- Huntsman International LLC (US)
- Hexion Inc. (US)
Automotive Composites Industry Developments
June 2021: Mitsubishi Chemical Co., Ltd. announced the development of a new carbon fiber prepreg that can be used as a part of an automotive engine.
March 2021: Hexcel joined ASCEND Project, aiming to improve high-rate manufacturing and processing technologies to develop lightweight advanced composite materials for the automotive and aerospace industry.
Automotive Composites Market Segmentation
Automotive Composites Fiber Type Outlook
- Glass Fiber
- Carbon Fiber
Automotive Composites Manufacturing Process Outlook
- Compression Molding
- Injection Molding
- Resin Transfer Molding
Automotive Composites Application Outlook
- Exterior
- Interior
- Powertrain
Automotive Composites Regional Outlook
- North America
- US
- Canada
- Europe
- Germany
- France
- UK
- Italy
- Spain
- Rest of Europe
- Asia-Pacific
- China
- Japan
- India
- Australia
- South Korea
- Australia
- Rest of Asia-Pacific
- Rest of the World
- Middle East
- Africa
- Latin America
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