Market Trends of Automotive Upholstery Industry
This section covers the major market trends shaping the Automotive Upholstery Market according to our research experts:
Seat Covers Segment Expected to Gain Significance during the Forecast Period
The Seat Covers application is estimated to be the largest growing segment for the automotive upholstery market by product type application during the forecast period. The growth of this application can be attributed directly to the growth of vehicle production. Seat covers utilize the maximum upholstery material in an automotive application. Each car seat utilizes up to 2 meters of upholstery material.
The upholstery material required for automotive seat covers varies depending on the vehicle model and vehicle type. Moreover, as the comfort of drivers in vehicles is gaining importance, seats have become an important factor in influencing a purchase decision for a buyer who spends a significant amount of time in road transit. So in this regard, some of the key players in the market are focused on improving their investments over the forecast period. For instance,
- In November 2021, auto seat covers maker Peca Group (PGB) signed a 2-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Malaysia Automotive Robotics and IoT Institute (MARii) to collaborate in EV parts, components technology, and market expansion of products.
Under this MoU, MARii will be developing new opportunities for PGB to expand its capabilities to offer more competitive products to global brands, as well as enhance the operational efficiency of PGB's business process by integrating Industry 4.0 systems.
Despite this, to cater to the growing demand for comfortable seats and seat covers from customers, automotive OEMs are also providing customized seats. Currently, customers can choose from a wide variety of seat covers that are offered as a standard fit on car seats, as well as diverse options in the aftermarket. For instance,
- In May 2022, Toyota Boshoku Corporation (Toyota Boshoku) announced that it would exhibit at the JSAE's Automotive Engineering Exposition 2022. Its Fatigue Estimation and Drowsiness Suppression System is a seat cover equipped with a system that estimates the driver's drowsiness and fatigue while driving and suppresses drowsiness. The "plant-derived self-healing resin material" is a plant-derived resin that repairs itself even if the material is scratched or cracked.
In addition, driver fatigue, which is observed as a major reason for vehicle accidents, can be reduced with ergonomically structured automotive seats and perforated seat covers. The increase in the uptake of advanced seat technologies such as sensor-enabled seats, which monitor a driver's biometrics, and ventilated seats likely to drive the growth of the automotive seat's upholstery market.
Asia-Pacific Region Anticipated to Lead the Automotive Upholstery Market
Asia-Pacific region is likely to dominate the Automotive upholstery market owing to the growing demand for automotive vehicles and the presence of automobile manufacturing facilities, especially in countries such as China, India, and Japan. The demand for automotive upholstery in this region is directly linked to vehicle production in China and India, which are both automotive hubs. Moreover, the demand for luxury vehicles in this region is anticipated to grow, further enhancing the demand for automotive upholstery from this region.
Apart from rising automotive sales, government initiatives and global investments boost the demand for automotive upholstery over the forecast period. So, players present in the market are actively engaged in designing several growth strategies and are also inclined towards performing research and development activities to strengthen their presence in the market. For instance,
- In April 2022, Honda Cars India Ltd., India's leading premium car manufacturer, today unveiled the much-anticipated New City e: HEV, India's Supreme Electric Hybrid. The company reiterated its global vision of achieving carbon neutrality and zero collision fatalities by 2050 while releasing technical details of the new City e: HEV. The car's interior is plush, premium, and spacious, with a New Luxurious Two-Tone Ivory & Black Interior Color Theme.
- Nobo Automotive Systems will exhibit a carbon fiber frame seat at the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition in April 2021. This seat's back frame is integrally formed with carbon fiber composites and uses a small number of parts, resulting in a 35% weight reduction. Zhejiang Tiancheng Controls' high-end carbon fiber seat, introduced in November 2021, uses one-piece molding, thermosetting, and injection molding processes and is approximately 30% lighter than conventional steel seats.
North America is expected to grow at a faster pace during the forecasted period due to the presence of leading automotive manufacturers with a surge in industrialization followed by the Europe region.
The growth of the market in North America is attributed to the high adoption of passenger cars in the countries such as the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Cars being one of the major needs in almost all households in the United States, production growth contributes to the upholstery market during the forecast period.
