Industry news--- New energy vehicle sensors: the market will soar in the next five years, and the intelligent trend will lead the development of the industry to a new blue ocean

With the rapid development of science and technology, sensor technology has become more and more widely used in the field of new energy vehicles, and has become a key force to promote the intelligent transformation of the automotive industry. Sensors, devices or devices that can sense and convert measured signals into usable signals, as defined by the national standard GB7665-87, are gradually showing their great potential in new energy vehicles.

As the core component of the measurement system, the sensor of new energy vehicles can convert input variables such as temperature, pressure, position, acceleration, speed, flow and other input variables into measurable data signals, and transmit them to the vehicle control system to help measurement and control operations. These sensors act as the "senses" of the car, helping the driver or the autonomous driving system to make accurate judgments, effectively resist external interference, and improve driving safety. Sensors play an irreplaceable role in key parts such as the chassis, electronic adjustment system, and navigation system of new energy vehicles.

From the functional point of view, there are many types of new energy vehicle sensors, including radar sensors, camera sensors, current sensors, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, gas sensors, angular rate sensors, speed sensors and acceleration sensors. Among them, radar sensors are attracting attention for their accurate detection capabilities, with lidar sensors generating 3D scenes by scanning the surrounding environment, and millimeter-wave radars using electromagnetic waves for detection and ranging. The current sensor is responsible for monitoring the status of the battery pack and improving the efficiency of the battery. Pressure sensors, temperature sensors and gas sensors are responsible for monitoring airbag regulation, battery temperature and air quality in the vehicle, respectively.

Looking back on history, the development of automotive sensors has gone through a process from germination to start-up to rapid development. As early as the 50s of the 20th century, automotive sensors have begun to appear, but the types are scarce and the functions are limited. By the 70s, automotive sensors were booming with the advent of catalytic sensors, electronic ignition, and fuel injection. In the 80s, the emergence of new sensors such as thermocouples, photosensors, and Hall sensors further improved the safety and intelligence level of automobiles. In the 21st century, the application of intelligent sensors such as MEMS accelerometers marks a new level of sensor technology for new energy vehicles.

From the perspective of the industrial chain, the upstream of the new energy vehicle sensor industry is a supplier of basic materials and sensor module parts, the midstream is a sensor manufacturer, and the downstream is a new energy vehicle manufacturer. At present, most of the leading enterprises in the middle of the industrial chain are internationally renowned enterprises, such as Bosch, Honeywell, Siemens, etc., among which Bosch has the most advanced technology. However, Chinese companies have reached the international leading level in some areas in the midstream, such as the field of camera sensors. However, in terms of overall technical level, there is still a certain gap between Chinese enterprises and the world's leading level.

In recent years, the market size of new energy vehicle sensors has continued to expand. With the increase in the production of new energy vehicles and the improvement of the technical level, the market size of the sensor market has shown a significant growth trend. According to the data, in 2022, Bosch's sales of new energy vehicle sensors in China alone reached 132.3 billion yuan. It is expected that in the next few years, the market size of new energy vehicle sensors will continue to maintain a steady upward trend. This growth trend is supported by national policies, the demand for autonomous driving technology, and the requirements for environmental protection.

Driven by autonomous driving technology, the application of automotive sensors will be more extensive. In the future, high-tech environmental perception sensors will become a core component of autonomous driving technology, and the number of sensors installed on car bodies will continue to increase. It is expected that the number of sensors in Level 4 vehicles will exceed 15, while Level 5 fully autonomous vehicles will exceed 80 sensors. This will bring unprecedented development opportunities for the new energy vehicle sensor industry.

At the same time, the competitive landscape of the new energy vehicle sensor industry is also fragmented, which means that the industry is still in the early stage of development. In the future, with the continuous maturity of the industry and the expansion of the market scale, the new energy vehicle sensor industry will usher in a broader development prospect.