North America Automotive Air Filters Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By By Product (Intake, Cabin), By Application (Passenger Cars, Commercial Vehicles,) By End-use (OEM, Aftermarket) And Segment Forecasts, 2018 - 2024

Industry Insights

The North America automotive air filters market size was valued at USD 756.9 million in 2015 and is expected to grow at an estimated CAGR of 8.8% from 2016 to 2024. Rise in rate of automotive production in North America, owing to increasing demand and burgeoning exports is expected to propel the market growth over the forecast period.

Stringent rules and regulations formulated by the U.S. and Canadian governments to curb the alarming pollution levels are expected to favor industry growth. Air cleaners help to increase the performance efficiency of automobile engines by removing particulate matter, thereby providing clean air to the engine. This results in increased performance efficiency of the engine, which is also presumed to drive product demand.

North America is a hub for automotive production as well as sales, engine intake cleaners demand is in turn fueled by the OEM and aftermarket demand. A huge focus on periodic maintenance with strict guidelines and awareness is further expected to propel the demand for automotive filters in the region.

Innovative technologies and shift towards newer fiber materials are incorporated to improve the value chain of the industry by major industry participants. Automotive air filters penetration, in North America, is influenced by several rules, regulations, and standards. Government initiatives and several associations are presumed to play a vital role in driving the automotive intake cleaners to demand growth.

Product Insights

Based on products, the market has been segmented into intake and cabin air cleaners. With shifting consumer preferences and rising disposable income, almost all the vehicles come with air conditioners and thus with cabin cleaners. The early replacement cycle of cabin cleaners than intake cleaners would reflect into higher growth rate for the cabin air cleaner segment.

Intake air filters are used to catch dust and unwanted particles from entering the car engines when it is running. Dust formations bring down the efficiency of the engine performance, therefore, costing the end consumer more fuel expense. Intake air cleaners are necessary, and with advancing technologies, innovations are approaching the industry to make the driving experience for the user more enjoyable and hassle-free.

Emission norms are seeing an uptrend regarding strictness in the states which will lead car manufacturers to use products meeting the environmental standards more judicially. Consumers are likely to change both intake and cabin cleaners periodically to meet the stringent implementation of these air safety standards by the state governments, therefore, boosting the sales of the automotive cleaners in the region.

Application Insights

Commercial vehicle application segment to dominate the market, on account of higher average yearly mileage of commercial vehicles as compared to passenger cars. This results in a higher frequency of scheduled services. Moreover, increasing awareness of health disorders among consumers related to improper ventilation in the cabin is expected to propel the growth.

Sales for commercial vehicles have been growing rapidly for the past few years. The popularity of light commercial vehicles such as mini trucks among individual consumers is expected to result in higher growth for the automotive air cleaners in the commercial vehicle segment over the forecast period.

Although 2015 has seen a decline in the passenger car sales in the U.S. and Canada owing to the shifting consumer preferences towards light commercial vehicles, the number of passenger vehicles still running on these roads is enormous, and thus offer an ample scope of growth for the passenger cars segment.

End-Use Insights

The end-user segment includes original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and aftermarket segments. The filters are installed by the original manufacturers during the production process, while they also serve the aftermarket demand. Aftermarket filters can be reused and recycled, resulting in savings on maintenance and disposal costs, thus, contributing to increased profitability.

With high standards of manufacturing, coupled with regular maintenance services, the average age of vehicles plying on roads in the U.S. has reached 11.5 years as of 2015. Such a high lifespan of vehicles results in high demand for replacement air filters, and the same scenario is expected to continue over the forecast period.

The aftermarket segment is anticipated to grow at the highest CAGR of 9.2% over the forecast period, owing to the need for frequent replacement at a regular predetermined interval for better vehicular performance. Moreover, government initiatives such as New York's motor vehicle Inspection and Maintenance (I/M) programs are expected to promote product demand.

High awareness regarding the need for periodic maintenance in the region has resulted in strong demand for aftermarket cleaners. Implementation of Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, which regulate and monitors the average fuel economy of fleets has forced vehicle owners to follow the scheduled maintenance services strictly.

Stringent regulations for the production of fuel-efficient and low-emission vehicles have forced the car manufacturers to install good quality filters while production, thus driving the OEM end-use segment. The presence of the key automotive manufacturers such as General Motors, Chrysler, Ford Motor Company, etc. in the region is also expected to act as a driving force for the market growth.

North America Automotive Air Filters Market Share Insight

The leading companies in the North America automotive air filters industry are trying to expand their product portfolio by focusing on developing better and cost-effective products with competitive properties to meet growing industry demands. Some of the major players in this industry include Parker Hannifin Corporation, Cummins, Inc., and Donaldson Company, Inc., Hollingsworth & Vose, and others.

Key players are focusing on adopting manufacturing and distribution activities and expanding their product portfolio to suit the needs of the consumers to gain a competitive advantage. Industry rivalry is expected to be moderate with major players adopting strategies such as mergers, acquisitions, partnerships, and joint ventures.

Report Scope