The International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts that the stock of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in China will reach 38,570,612 units (cars) and 13,483,273 units (cars), respectively, by 2030. The IEA also predicts that the stock of BEVs (cars) and PHEVs (cars) in India will reach 7,279,298 units and 941,381 units, respectively, by 2030. The increasing sales of these vehicles will create a huge requirement for automotive semiconductors in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region in the coming years due to their extensive use in electric vehicle (EV) batteries.
Moreover, the increasing integration of advanced mobility solutions, such as autonomous driving technology, owing to the rising awareness about vehicle safety, will fuel the APAC automotive semiconductor market growth in the foreseeable future. Autonomous driving features, such as blind-spot detection (BDS), adaptive cruise control (ACC), automatic parking system, glare-free high beam and pixel lights, automatic emergency braking system, automotive night vision system, crosswind stabilizer, lane change assistance system, and driver drowsiness detection system, work with the help of semiconductors.
Such advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) are being integrated into internal combustion engine (ICE)-based vehicles and EVs to offer efficient driving options and meet the extensive demand for improved passenger safety. Thus, the surging sales of ICE-powered vehicles will also augment the need for semiconductors in APAC in the forthcoming years. For instance, the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA) states that 2,851,268 units of passenger cars and 384,017 units of light commercial vehicles (LCVs) were produced in India in 2020.
Additionally, the surging focus of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) on attracting more buyers with cutting-edge features is creating a huge requirement for semiconductors in APAC. As China is the leading manufacturer of automobiles in the world, automotive manufacturing facilities in the country are adopting semiconductors in abundance. Automakers are integrating semiconductors in passenger cars, two-wheelers, LCVs, and medium and heavy commercial vehicles (M&HCVs) driven by both ICEs and battery and motors.
At present, the requirement for semiconductors in the automotive sector of APAC is met by Analog Devices Inc., ON Semiconductor Corporation, STMicroelectronics N.V., Texas Instruments Incorporated, Infineon Technologies AG, Robert Bosch, Renesas Electronics Corporation, Toshiba Corporation, Sensata Technologies Holding N.V., NXP Semiconductors N.V., and Rohm Co. Ltd. The semiconductors manufactured by these companies are mostly integrated into passenger cars. In the coming years, the burgeoning sales of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and crossover vehicles will fuel the adoption of semiconductors.
According to P&S Intelligence, China and Japan dominate the APAC automotive semiconductor market due to the expanding automobile industry of these countries. The flourishing automotive industry in China can be credited to the improving living standard and escalating disposable income of people. In the coming years, South Korea and India will also adopt a significant volume of semiconductors due to the burgeoning demand for EVs and ICE-based automobiles. For instance, according to the OICA, 3,394,446 units and 3,506,774 units of automobiles were produced in India and South Korea, respectively, in 2020.
Thus, the mounting EV and ICE-based vehicle sales and increasing integration of ADAS in such automobiles will create an extensive requirement for semiconductors in the upcoming years.