Automotive Electronic Control Unit (ECU) Market Expected to Reach $142.2 Billion by 2030

According to a new report published by Allied Market Research, titled, “Automotive Electronic Control Unit (ECU) Market," The automotive electronic control unit (ecu) market was valued at $87.7 billion in 2020, and is estimated to reach $142.2 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 5.1% from 2021 to 2030.

An electronic control unit (ECU), also known as an electronic control module (ECM), is an embedded system in automotive electronics that controls one or more electrical systems or subsystems in a car or other motor vehicle. The significant applications of these control units in vehicle technology include, the advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) due to the requirement to control driving operations. It can also control passive and active safety functions, such as airbags and automatic emergency braking, thus driving product adoption. Furthermore, expansion of distribution and dealership networks by manufacturers globally gained profits and strengthened their industry presence. For instance, in March 2020, Robert Bosch GmBH & Nikola Motor Company formed a partnership to develop a fuel cell truck, which provides higher computing power for advanced functions. The reducing number of independent units supports future innovations by delivering a scalable platform for the complex e/e architecture, which is essential to support the advanced features of Nikola's trucks.

In addition, the automotive electronic control unit (ECU) market has witnessed significant growth in recent years, owing to rise in automotive production coupled with increasing safety standards, rise in installation of infotainment systems in vehicles, and increase in production of autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles in Europe and Asia-Pacific. The companies operating in the market have adopted partnerships, product launches, and R&D to increase their market share and expand their geographical presence. For instance, in January 2020, Aptiv launched a modern, sustainable vehicle architecture, namely Smart Vehicle Architecture (SVA), to provide new functionality, improve lifecycle management, and enable automakers to enhance safety, increase vehicle efficiency, and deliver delivery intelligently connected, software-defined experiences to the customers.

The automotive electronic control unit market is segmented on the basis of technology, application, mode, ECU capacity, and region. By technology, the market is classified into powertrain, body, advanced driver assistance system (ADAS), infotainment, and chassis. On the basis of application, it is categorized into passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and electric vehicles. By mode, the market has been segmented into conventional and autonomous. By ECU Capacity, the market has been segmented into 16 bit, 32 bit, and 64 bit. Region-wise, the market is analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA. 

Factors such as increase in demand for automobiles, stringent safety regulations set by the government, increase in demand for advanced features in vehicles, and development related to manufacturing low-cost ECUs are expected to drive the automotive electronic control unit (ECU) market. However, increase in complexity and number of the electronic control unit (ECUs) restrain the market growth. Furthermore, demand for electric & hybrid vehicles and the need for advanced driver assistance features provide lucrative growth opportunities for the market players.

KEY FINDINGS OF THE STUDY

• By technology, the ADAS segment is expected to register a significant growth during the forecast period.
• Depending on application, the electric vehicles segment is anticipated to exhibit significant growth in the near future.
• On the basis of mode, the autonomous segment is projected to lead the global automotive electronic control unit (ECU) market owing to higher CAGR.
• Based on ECU Capacity, the 64 Bit segment is projected to lead the global automotive electronic control unit (ECU) market owing to higher CAGR.
• Asia-Pacific is anticipated to register the highest CAGR.

COVID-19 IMPACT ANALYSIS

• The COVID-19 crisis created uncertainty in every market, including the automotive sector. The closure of assembly plants and large-scale manufacturing interruptions has led to the decline in global demand for automobiles, indirectly affecting the automotive electronic control unit (ECU) market.
• Governments across different regions announced total lockdown and temporary shutdown of industries, followed by the closures of national & international borders that restricted the movement of transportation & logistics services.
• Furthermore, the pandemic interrupted the mass manufacturing throughout Europe, closure of U.S assembly plants, and interruption of Chinese parts exportation, which caused a severe burden on the key players leading to merger & acquisition activities.
• However, the overall service activities of market players registered a steady and favorable recovery in the subsequent months with the increase in the sales of passenger cars, which leads to a rise in the demand of the automotive electronic control unit (ECU) market.
• As per the current scenario, the overall world is getting back on track slowly; with the new restriction and policies and a significant recovery in product sales across the retail sector, owing to the demand for electric vehicles, which positively influence the automotive electronic control unit (ECU) market.

The key players operating in the global automotive electronic control unit (ECU) market are DENSO Corporation, Continental AG, Aptiv, HYUNDAI MOBIS, Lear, Panasonic Corporation, Hitachi Astemo, Ltd., Marelli Holdings Co., Ltd., Robert Bosch GmbH, and Pektron.