The global automotive air filters market is expected to grow at a significant pace over the next eight years. This growth can be attributed to the increase in vehicle production, growing health concerns, rising annual miles were driven and emission strict norms in various regions.
Air filters improve horsepower and mileage of a vehicle as well as engine airflow and emission control system which helps in the proper ignition of the fuel. The incoming air that is used for combustion directly affects combustion efficiency and is responsible for the formation of constituents that make up the exhaust gas. Hence, automotive air filter manufacturers are striving to develop technologically advanced air filters.
Additionally, another factor that is fuelling the demand for air filters are the growing health concerns due to increase in pollution. Agencies including Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Car Care Council (CCC) have been increasing their efforts to create awareness regarding health disorders related to prolonged inhalation and exposure to vehicular air pollution, which is also projected to boost the growth of the market.
Basic cabin air filters to aid in removing harmful particles from the air, whereas advanced air filters are capable of removing gasses and odor associated with polluted air and hence are responsible for a clean and hygienic environment inside the cabin.
Furthermore, growing industrialization coupled with the rise in disposable income levels has been boosting automotive demand among consumers which in turn will increase the need for automotive air filters over the next eight years. As these filters are replaceable components and are required to be changed at regular intervals, they have high commercial potential in the aftermarket as well. The off-highway vehicles market is another segment in which there exists a strong presence of automotive air filters.
This market incorporates significant opportunities for manufacturers to invest in research and development to bring out new and advanced filtration systems that are growing in demand. The automotive air filters market can be segmented based on the filter type, filter media, vehicle type and vehicle media. Based on filter type the sections include intake filter type and cabin filter type. The two segments based on filter media include input filter which can be further subdivided into cellulose and synthetic and cabin filter which can be further divided into particle and active carbon. Based on vehicle type the industry can be segmented by passenger cars, Heavy Commercial Vehicles (HCV) and Light commercial vehicles (LCV). Finally, the segments based on market type include aftermarket and original equipment manufacturers (OEM).
Asia Pacific is estimated to have held the largest market share in the automotive air filters market in the year 2015, and this trend is expected to continue over the next eight years owing to the rising demand for air-conditioned cars in the region.
Europe and North America closely follow the Asia Pacific region regarding market share due to the rise in demand for agricultural tractors and construction equipment that are all equipped with air filters. Cabin filters for both aftermarket and OE market are estimated to account for the largest market share in Europe and North America since both these regions are technologically advanced while Asia Pacific is expected to have a majority proportion of the intake air filters market.
This market is moving towards consolidation on account of frequent acquisitions and mergers. Automotive air filter designers and manufacturers are increasingly investing in research and development and concentrating mostly on innovation to bring out novel technologies including fiber materials which improve filtration properties.
The key automotive air filter manufacturers in the market include Mann+Hummel, Mahle Gmbh, Affinia Group Inc., Donaldson Filtration Solutions, Bosch, Cummins and K&N Engineering among others. Other prominent vendors in the market include Clair Filter Systems, Cosmo Tech, Freudenberg Filtration Technologies, Enviro Tech Industrial Products, Clarcor, AmritFiltronics India, Wikon Industries, Seeco Industries, Lupax Filters, LubOil Filtration Systems, New Holland Fiat India, Elofic Industries and Fleetguard Filters among others.
Mann+Hummel is one of the market leaders that has a strong presence globally, with more than 50 locations spread over five continents. It offers automotive air filters through two vertical business units which are ‘automotive original equipment’ and ‘automotive aftermarket’. The company formed a joint venture ‘Purolator Filters LLC’ with Robert Bosch, which has strengthened its position in the market by aiding its expansion into countries such as India, China, and Thailand. The company also established a subsidiary in Thailand known as ‘Mann and Hummel Ltd. In Thailand to manufacture air management systems for vehicle engines and to help in the distribution of filter elements. These factors are expected to impact industry growth positively over the next eight years.
Clarcor Inc. acquired General Electric Company's air filtration business in 2013, for USD 265 million. In December 2013, Denso Corporation declared that it would merge its industrial equipment subsidiaries Denso Elecs. Co. Ltd. and Denso Wave.
In-depth report on global automotive air filters market by Grand View Research:
https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/automotive-air-filters-market