More than half a million visitors descended upon this year’s International Mobility Show (IAA). The event played host to more than 300 world premieres and innovations. Around 750 exhibitors travelled from 38 territories, with Greater China having a large presence at the event.

The automotive industry's evolution towards sustainability and performance improvement necessitates a shift towards composite materials. These materials offer a compelling solution to reduce weight, enhance safety, lower costs, and align with environmental objectives. As the industry continues to innovate, composite materials will play a pivotal role in shaping the vehicles of the future. This report outlines key challenges and opportunities within this dynamic landscape, highlighting the pivota...

This report highlights the importance of aluminum lightweighting for emission reduction and fuel efficiency in the automotive industry. It explores the growing demand driven by electrification and sustainability goals. Challenges include cost, strength, joining, repairability, and recycling difficulties. The report examines the usage of aluminum in body-in-white construction, extrusions, and castings, discussing their advantages and market trends.

Graphene, a remarkable nanomaterial, holds immense promise for revolutionizing the automotive industry. Its incorporation into various automotive components can lead to numerous benefits, including reduced vehicle weight, enhanced mechanical and thermal properties, improved manufacturing efficiency, and increased durability. This report explores the diverse applications of graphene in the automotive sector and assesses its environmental impact, commercial potential, and challenges associated wit...

The document delves into the rising phenomenon of additive manufacturing, commonly referred to as 3D printing, and its influence on the research and development (R&D) centers of excellence operated by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). With the increasing prominence of additive manufacturing, OEMs are directing more attention towards exploring the capabilities of this technology through their R&D endeavors. This report presents a condensed overview of the principal discoveries regarding th...

This year marked the 20th anniversary show for Auto Shanghai. It was held on April 18-27, 2023 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center Shanghai. More than 1,400 vehicles were showcased including 300 new models. The Show was also the platform for around 100 global vehicle debuts and attracted 906,000 visitors.

All the analyses and research in this report are based on extensive primary and secondary research conducted by S&P Global Mobility analysts with expertise in the materials and lightweighting domain. The analysis and opinions put forward in the report are based on the information gathered from relevant and trusted automotive sources, such as published reports, government publications, industry news and press releases from key players. Interviews with experts in the field of automotive man...

The 2023 Auto Expo's components edition was held from 12-15 January and recorded participation of over 800 companies and 115,000 visitors, while the vehicle show was held from 13-18 January and was attended by 636,743 visitors. Among the major passenger car manufacturers in India, Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Kia, Tata Motors, Toyota, BYD, and MG Motor showcased new models and concepts.

The focus on lightweighting in the automotive industry has brought the plastics and composites industry into the limelight. The advancements in these two converging material segments will determine how quickly and efficiently automakers can lower the weight of the vehicle. The push for electric vehicles (EVs) from several nations through mandates to restrict sales of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles in the next 10 to 15 years has left automakers scrambling to make their EVs more desirab...

BIW material competition index tracker essentially tracks the advancements, which are happening with all the primary materials used in manufacturing of the body-in-white (BIW) of a light vehicle. The materials tracked for this index include mild steel; HSS; AHSS; UHSS; GigaPascal steel; Aluminum; Magnesium; SMC; CFRP; Glass Fiber; Natural Fiber; Steel Laminated sheets. It looks at several physical and economic attributes of the materials and award them points for each attribute.

Additive manufacturing (AM), more popularly known as 3D printing, is one of the key upcoming technologies that is expected to disrupt conventional ways of manufacturing in the automotive industry. It has already found application in motorsports and almost every major automaker is using it for creating prototypes and manufacturing tools. The next phase for 3D printing in the automotive industry is to become a regular feature in series production. The report will take a deep dive into all the d...

Coatings are important components in the smooth functioning of a vehicle and to ensure its long life. Almost every part of a vehicle has some form of coating that plays a certain role. Some of the major coatings that are seen in a car include external and interior paints that are also called appearance coatings, thermal coatings, anticorrosion coatings, and antifriction coatings. With the megatrends of electrification, autonomous driving, and connected cars catching up, the types of coatings ...

As part of the 2022 New Year's Briefing, IHS Markit has compiled a presentation around analysis of its latest automotive semiconductor demand and capacity forecast.

Selecting the most optimum joining method for the body parts is one of the key decisions OEMs make early on in the manufacturing process to ensure a multimaterial structure. These multi-material body structures are a key solution to reducing the weight of the overall vehicle. Multimaterial components may be a combination of various metals such as different grades of steel, aluminum and steel, aluminum and magnesium, or even be part metal and part polymer composite. This report will look at...

CES 2022 was held in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States from January 5-7, with around 400,000 visitors, 744 exhibitors, and 936 speakers.

In the age of electrification, lightweight automotive bodies are set to play an increasingly important role to offset the weight of the battery. While metals such as steel and aluminum are expected to form the majority of the materials used in body-in-white (BIW) manufacturing, composite will be a key to manufacturing multimaterial structures, which are seen as one of the solutions to lightweighting and at the same time improving safety. The BIW composite industry overview report will look at...

While Apple is yet to confirm or deny exploring vehicle development under the codename Project Titan, also referred as Chromium, a vast array of automotive stakeholders and commentators have been inquisitive of what may materialize from the so-called ‘Apple Car.’ Due to the secrecy around Apple’s car venture, a lot remains unknown or unconfirmed about the project from the manufacturing location(s), potential partners, and projected volume. This research note ...

Steel is still the most used material for manufacturing a car and will remain so in the foreseeable future as well. Steel industry has been constantly advancing the grades of steel to meet the ever changing requirements of the automotive industry, as automakers look to develop vehicles that are lightweight, safer, and more efficient. The body in white (BIW) steel industry overview report will provide an in-depth understanding of the various grades of the steel and how their use is expected to...

IAA Mobility 2021 took place in Munich, Germany, from September 7-12.

Aluminum is one of the key materials used in the manufacturing of an automotive body-in-white (BIW). The metal is expected to play an increasingly important role as the automakers look to develop vehicles which are lightweight, safer, and more efficient. The higher adoption of electrified vehicles is also likely to have a bearing on the demand for aluminum for BIW manufacturing. The BIW aluminum industry overview report will look at the changing dynamics for aluminum in the automotive industr...

Lightweighting is one of the keywords being used in the automotive industry for the past several years. It underpins almost all decisions taken by the automakers that the Regional lightweighting strategies report aims to capture the material usage strategies employed by the automakers in the key automotive markets. The report will look into the material used in the various body-in-white (BIW) components by the top automakers today and how the adoption of some of the m...

The Auto Shanghai 2021 was the 19th International Automobile Industry Exhibition and took place at the National Exhibition and Convention Center Shanghai in China from 19-28 April 2021.

This report will delve into the material selection strategies for the closure components that are currently prevalent in the light vehicle segment, and how it is expected to play out over the next decade. The report gives an in-depth analysis of the demand growth for some of the most widely used materials in the various closure parts, and what are some of the factors that will influence the growth pattern for materials, such as regulations, manufacturing costs,...

This report highlights high-level themes represented at the show and summarizes announcement details by company with key insights for how the technologies presented impact automotive and technology strategies and industries.

The focus of the 2020 Beijing Motor Show were intelligent cars and alternative drive systems. All renowned automotive manufacturers and suppliers as well as numerous startups participated in the 2020 show. 

These presentations were given at the 2020 IHS Markit Spring Automotive Client Briefing - Europe (webinar) on  EV Charging Infrastructure and Connected Car.

This report highlights high-level themes represented at the show and summarizes announcement details by company with key insights for how the technologies presented impact automotive and technology strategies and industries.

The Los Angeles (LA) Auto Show is an annual car show held at the Los Angeles Convention Center in late November or early December.

The powertrain system in a vehicle comprises the engine and transmission systems. The engine system generates power and torque through combustion of fuel, while the transmission system uses the power or torque of the engine to move the vehicle at desired speeds through a combination of the gear and shafts. The powertrain system can constitute up to 20% of the entire vehicle weight on average. Within the powertrain system, the transmission system can weigh from 5% to 10% of the entire weight of t...

The theme of the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show was “Open Future” focusing on cutting edge futuristic technologies including future mobility, flying cars, next-generation personalized mobility, autonomous driving, connected vehicles, and new energy-based vehicles.

Lightweighting, or "right-weighting" (as called in some sectors), is the global push across industries to develop material solutions that perfectly balance cost and performance factors. Focusing on using the right material at the right place and in the perfect amount is tantamount to achieving the right performance at the right price. As a result of the recent push to achieve stringent carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, fuel efficiency norms, and improved safety/crash features across the globe, ...

These presentations were given at the 2019 IHS Markit Fall Automotive Client Briefing in Detroit, Michigan.

The 2019 International Motor Show (IAA) took place at Frankfurt Am Main from 10–22 September 2019.

The development of new materials for automotive solutions across component areas was historically driven by the cost-versus-personal-feel factors and not with a direct intention of reducing the total weight of the vehicle. As a result, new material developments were gradual and not at a disruptive or scalable speed for a long period of time. This meant that lightweighting would remain as a secondary design step in vehicle development. However, the recent push across the globe to achieve stringen...

Analogous to the skeleton of a body, the chassis acts as the base to all the other component areas, and it prevents any torsional deflection in the vehicle. The chassis supports sprung and unsprung mass, dynamic and static loadings, movements and stoppages—in short, a wide variety of critical vehicular functions. Hence, chassis design, both in terms of shape/form and materials, must be carefully planned. Due to the complexities involved in a new chassis design, OEMs prefer to use a basic chass...

The 2019 New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) took place at Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York, the US from 19–28 April 2019.

The 2019 Geneva show was majorly focused around future trends for the automotive industry and conceptual technologies—electrification of vehicles and connected mobility, driverless vehicles, packages of digital services, and transportation services.

The requirements for tighter emission standards and higher fuel economy have traditionally troubled OEMs across the world and led to lightweighting being adopted as one of the strategic options. Compared with the other options available, such as engine design change as well as vehicle parasitics change, lightweighting has been the far easier option to design, source, and implement at the vehicle level. Since more than two-thirds of fuel consumption goes toward moving the vehicle’s weight, ligh...

The 2019 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) took place at Cobo Center in Detroit, Michigan, United States from 12-27 January 2019.

The annual CES continues to host the world’s automotive innovators to highlight the most cutting-edge technologies the industry can offer.

The Los Angeles (LA) Auto Show is an annual car show held at the Los Angeles Convention Center in late November or early December.

The exterior component system of a car is, quite simply put, the design feature and language of the car. It not only provides for the vehicle’s external aesthetics but also has a critical functionality in terms of the passive safety it provides by forming a closure across the passenger cell through a number of fixed and cantilevered components. With the body-in-white (BIW) acting as a skeleton for the car, the exterior component system is analogous to the skin of the car. Weighing at up to 15%...

Interiors component area The components and subcomponents in a car can be broadly differentiated into five component areas, namely powertrain, body-in-white (BIW), chassis, interiors, and exteriors. This categorization helps in grouping the components by function and technology, and allows for a holistic approach to lightweighting. Vehicular interiors, or the interior component area of a vehicle, is defined as the component systems that are exposed to users in the passenger cabin and account ...

Once considered to be the epitome of in-cabin luxury and accessible to only a handful of affluent car buyers, leather has come a long way as an upholstery material of choice in today’s automotive interiors. Owing to commercialization and advancement in the leather-making process, the global footprint and application of leather in automotive interiors have increased over the last several years. Not only is leather an essential part of the luxury cars of today, but it is also spreading its base ...