3 POWERTRAIN REVOLUTION
Sensors change the game
Another trend steering powertrain advancement is the growing sensors segment of the business. A report
from Technavio, a London-based global research company, found the market for powertrain sensors will
grow by six percent per year between 2017 and 2021 due to a rising demand for fuel-efficient, safe and low-
emission vehicles.
(4)
''End-users are more concerned about vehicle security, environmental safety and a need for better
performance, which is creating a healthy demand for powertrain sensors,'' Technavio said in a release for
its January 2017 report. ''Stringent regulations regarding emission control, growing adoption of automatic
transmission vehicles, a rapid electrification of automotive components increasing application of electronics
in vehicles, and advances in inertial measurement unit (IMU) manufacturing technologies are the other key
drivers of this market. These drivers are expected to drive the global automotive powertrain sensors market
to be valued at $26.52 billion by 2021.''
(5)
Technavio divides the bulk of the powertrain sensor market into three categories: process, position
and motion.
(6)
Environment and regulation
The auto industry is currently working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, with a focus on vehicle
weight, fuel consumption, and improved electrical efficiency. In the European Union (EU), by 2021, the fleet
average to be achieved by all new cars is 95 grams of CO2 per kilometer, said the European Commission for
Climate Action. This target is a 40 percent reduction from the 2007 fleet average, they said.
One way to do this will be more efficient powertrains. That's a move
analysts expect the industry to make in the near future, though
many concede the road to that change may be a difficult one.
McKinsey in an earlier report predicted that the future of electrified
vehicle adoption will indeed be shaped by ''consumer pull and
regulatory push factors.'' But it said that electrified powertrains will
comprise up to 50 percent of new car sales in 2030.
(7)
Safer vehicles
Innovators in powertrain systems continue to look for more ways to make operating and driving vehicles safer
regardless of power source. A key part of that is the use of what is often a package of sensors in each system.
For example, Technavio's report points out that process sensors are mainly used in powertrains to monitor
temperature and pressure for applications about passenger safety and vehicle security. These sensors, it
says, are increasingly used in the automotive segment for optimizing the performance of the powertrain
and engine.
What potential roadblocks could slow powertrain advancement?
• Volatility. Consumer interest in alternate drivetrain systems fluctuates. The major OEMs need to
see a profitable route ahead in order to ensure the timely development of the technologies now
on the roadmap.
• Infrastructure needs. Growth in the number of recharging stations would lead consumers to
feel they will be able to readily fuel alternative power plants.
• Fluctuating oil prices. Consumers historically have been less interested in buying energy-saving
vehicles when the price of oil is low.
• Alternative power plant buy-in. Consumers need to believe the new powertrains are safer, more
efficient, more precise and more drivable than the powertrains of the past.
• Economics. Powertrain advances must make solid fiscal sense for both consumers and automakers
before real advances will take hold.
Electrified powertrains
will comprise up to
50 percent of new
car sales in 2030.
