Abstract
This latest edition of just-auto' s Global market review of automotive
turbochargers and superchargers - forecasts to 2014 marks something of a
watershed. It' s the first report from just-auto that has reached its fifth
edition. This takes off from the last edition and provides an in-depth
technical review of turbocharger technology, just-auto' s proprietary forecasts
and analysis of the world' s major markets and a review of the main supplier
companies.
North America, Europe and Japan car sales currently account for around 33.4m
passenger cars and light vehicles a year.
Of this total, diesel sales account for around 10m units, all of which utilise
turbocharger technology but the prospects for growth are there. The US is
experiencing a severe rise in fuel prices which is causing the consumer to
think about the fuel consumption figures of his or her vehicle for the first
time. The hybrids have proved to be popular, especially on the East and West
coasts; but to put them into perspective, their sales are still less than 2%
of the total. North America has a very large engine infrastructure for
gasoline, but diesels do look set to grow maybe taking around 15-20% of the
market.
In Europe, diesel-powered cars, the majority of which are turbocharged,
continued their market domination, accounting for 53.3% of total new car
registrations in Western Europe in 2007, up from 13.8% in 1990.
Of the emerging markets, China looks to set the agenda with total annual turbo
sales forecasted to be nearly 8.1m units this year and increasing 20%
year-on-year for the next five years.
India is a currently small but fast-expanding market with passenger car and
light-truck sales this year forecast to be 1.1m sales, 75% of which will be
small cars and it is in this segment that is on the verge of experiencing a
boom in diesel sales.
"As you look around the world there are increasingly stringent fuel economy
and emissions requirements that the manufacturers have to meet with their new
cars," says Alex Ismail of Honeywell Turbo Technologies, "so the way the
turbocharger should be seen is not as a component but as a legislative gain.
"The vehiclemakers are resorting to downsizing their engines but at the same
time they need to cope with the increasing weight of the vehicle due to their
safety requirements, increased passenger refinement and the onboard
electronics. The typical scenario is one where the driver wants to be more
environmentally friendly but not at the expense of refinement, performance and
overall drivability. The only way the auto manufacturers can deal with that is
to have a turbocharger at the centre of the engine which is why you see them
becoming such critical devices as they help solve this complex equation."
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