Asia is an important global auto parts supply base, according to the 2024 global auto parts supplier list released by Automotive News, a total of 48 companies are on the list, accounting for almost half of the country. Among them, 22 are from Japan, 15 are from China, 10 are from South Korea, and 1 is from India. The total revenue of the automobile business reached 427.372 billion US dollars, accounting for 43.6% of the total revenue of the companies on the list.
Motherson Group, the only company in India on the list, achieved revenue of $17.675 billion last year, ranking 14th on the list, up 11 places year-on-year. It is one of the world's largest manufacturers of automotive rearview systems, mainly supplying interior and exterior mirrors and camera-based inspection systems.
In July last year, the company spent 118.3 million euros to acquire the Dr. Schneider Group, a subsidiary of Schneider in Germany, founded in 1927, which mainly produces vehicle interior components, such as panels and lighting, as well as storage systems and center consoles, and its main customers include Audi, BMW, Jaguar Land Rover, Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Rolls-Royce, etc.
South Korea's largest auto parts company is Hyundai Mobis, which continues to rank sixth in the world with a revenue of 36.964 billion US dollars, and has been among the top 10 on the list for 14 consecutive years. Its predecessor, Hyundai Seiko, was established in 1977, and at the beginning, it was mainly engaged in the export business of containers and casting valves. In 2000, it took over the aftermarket business of Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors, and officially changed its name to Hyundai Mobis.
The company's business is mainly divided into three major sectors: core parts manufacturing, vehicle module manufacturing, after-sales parts manufacturing and sales. In 2018, he founded Mobis Ventures Silicon Valley to nurture start-ups with cutting-edge technologies in the field of future mobility.
As the world's third largest car company, Hyundai Motor Group, in addition to Hyundai Mobis, its Hyundai Transys (mainly engaged in powertrain and seat manufacturing), Hyundai WIA (mainly producing cardan shafts, engine assemblies, turbochargers, axle modules and other parts), Hyundai Kefic (focusing on the research and development of automotive powertrain sensors and control systems) are also on the list.
Japan's largest auto parts company is Denso, but last year's revenue fell 15% year-on-year to US$40.723 billion, and the global ranking also fell three places to fifth. In the face of the surging wave of electrification and intelligence, this traditional auto parts supplier smelled the risk of losing ground and had to accelerate the cutting of its traditional business, and successively divest and sell its fuel pump business, spark plug and oxygen sensor business.
On the other hand, Denso continues to increase its R&D investment, deploying products such as battery packs, motors, inverters, and energy management systems, as well as semiconductors, cameras, millimeter-wave radars, and in-vehicle systems. According to the plan, the company's electrification business revenue will reach 1.2 trillion yen (about 8 billion U.S. dollars) by 2025, and this figure will increase to 1.7 trillion yen by 2030.
Denso was born out of Toyota Motor, known as the "Toyota Troika" together with Aisin Seiki and Toyota Boshoku, in addition, the group also owns JTEKT, Toyoda Gosei and other supporting plants, covering the entire industrial chain of powertrain, chassis control, seats, steel, bearings, optoelectronics, etc., which is also the confidence that it has topped the world's first automobile sales for four consecutive years.
China's largest auto parts company is the United Nations Contemporary Technology Corporation (CATL), whose revenue from its auto business last year increased 23.5% year-on-year to US$41.365 billion (about 300.6 billion yuan), up one place to rank fourth in the world, replacing Denso as the largest auto parts company in Asia.
According to public information, CATL is the world's largest power battery supplier. According to data from South Korean research institute SNE Research, its power battery installed capacity was 259.7GWh last year, a year-on-year increase of 40.8%; The market share was 36.8%, an increase of 0.6 percentage points year-on-year, and it has become the global power battery market champion for the seventh consecutive year since 2017. In the first four months of this year, it was also the only manufacturer in the world with a market share of more than 30%, with 81.4GWh of installed capacity and 37.7% market share.
Some industry insiders pointed out that the swapping of positions between CATL and Denso reflects the current trend of restructuring the global automotive supply chain system to a certain extent, and in the field of "three electrics" (batteries, motors, electronic control), Chinese suppliers who can better and faster adapt to technological upgrades and make positive feedback to the market are becoming the preferred choice of global auto giants.
Of course, CATL is not resting on its laurels. The data shows that in May this year, although its power battery loading volume ranked first in the industry, its market share has declined month-on-month for the third consecutive month, and competitors such as BYD and China Innovation Airlines are accelerating the pace of catching up. A few days ago, the company issued a call to employees for "100 days of struggle". The move immediately sparked heated discussions both inside and outside the industry. In the market competition with "volume" as the main theme, even industry giants cannot be left alone.