The automotive electric power steering ECU market was valued at USD 18.6 billion in 2020, and it is expected to reach USD 27 billion by 2026, registering a CAGR greater than 6.2% during the forecast period (2021 - 2026).
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic hit the automobile industry adversely. Disruptions were caused in the supply chain as several major economies of the world were in lockdown. All the manufacturing units and OEM plants were forced to halt production and operations during this period. With the recovery of economies, the market witnessed a huge demand for passenger cars as the consumer preferences changed from public transport to personal vehicles. The trend is expected to continue and drive the market growth.
Automotive electric power steering ECU is an integral component needed to drive the electric motor in the EPS unit. Factors such as extensive ownership of personal vehicles and growing technological advancements may see the rise of the EPS ECU market.
With autonomous vehicles gaining traction, it is fueling the demand for the electric power steering market and ECUs across the world. Vehicles that are equipped with EPS tend to have a reduced overall weight, which further increases fuel efficiency.
The purchasing power of people is increasing and pushing the demand for personal vehicles. China and India are witnessing this surge as the affordability of people is clearly increasing in these countries. Growth can be seen among other emerging markets in Southeast Asian countries like Bangladesh and Vietnam.
In India, government policies, such as the 'Make in India' initiative to improve the manufacturing sector in the nation, may also lead to a bright future for the market.
Key Market Trends
Rising Demand for Electric Power Steering (EPS) ECU
The electric ECU provides a lower cogging torque for a better driving experience, improving the interaction between the permanent magnets of the rotor and the stator slots of the permanent magnet (PM) machine. Traditional steering systems required the driver to continually make minor steering corrections to compensate for irregularities, such as road camber or crosswinds. However, modern electric power steering automatically assists the driver in case they encounter such barriers. The ECU unit can register if the driver is continuously counter steering and automatically compensate for the correction to ensure optimal engine performance.
ECU consists of three significant components that are the control module, power module, and control software. The control module gives access to power the switches and performs diagnostics functions in the power module. The power module consists of three half-bridges where each half-bridge powers one phase of the three-phase electric. Lastly, the control software is the algorithm that enables to control the speed and torque of the EPS unit. However, designers face challenges such as meeting a flexible yet cost-effective architecture that can be equipped in cars, ranging from SUVs to compact vehicles, by satisfying power requirements for different steering rack loads.
However, there is a demand for higher steering power to improve driver comfort and feedback without losing power assistance, especially at a slower speed. For instance, Nexteer uses three different sensor technologies. Each can be used with the same position sensor, torque sensor, and ECU. The company has introduced solutions that reduce the steering angle sensor, which provides active lighting, stability control, and ADAS. They broadcast an absolute steering position based just on the EPS motor sensor.
Asia-Pacific is Expected to Dominate the ECU Market
The Asia-Pacific region is primarily driven by growing vehicle production and sales. To meet government safety standards and emission norms, technological advancements are being made to the ECU segment.
India is an emerging economy where electric power steering (EPS) implementation in passenger cars is overgrowing, owing to its advantages, such as no hoses or fluids required in the steering system, thereby reducing the repair and maintenance costs. Implementation of EPS systems also helps in reducing accidents as drivers have better control over the vehicle.
Electric power steering significantly makes driving safer. Companies such as Infiniti Q50 incorporated adaptive steering in vehicles whose sensors continuously monitor the position of the steering wheel. Also, these torque ECU sensors are integrated into the EPS system. The torque sensors measure the effort applied by the driver to steer the vehicle.
Currently, less than 40% of the passenger cars are running with EPS technology. However, stringent government regulations regarding fuel efficiency are likely to drive the growth of the ECU segment. In 2019, the Indian government modified the tax reforms for gasoline, diesel, and hybrid cars to promote the sales of automobiles.
Competitive Landscape
The automotive power steering ECU market is consolidated, with the existing market players such as JTEKT, NSK Ltd, ZF TRW, Nexteer Automotive, and Sono Koyo Steering holding the most significant shares. To have an edge over their competitors, companies are making joint ventures, partnerships, and launching new products with advanced technology.
For instance, in January 2021, Nissan's new "Rogue" was launched and equipped with JTEKT Electric Power Steering with Gen2 in-house ECU.
In October 2020, Nexteer unveiled a new high-output EPS system that enables heavier vehicles to take advantage of advanced safety, comfort, and fuel economy.
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