Strategy Analytics: Auto Gas Sensors to Hit 177 Million by 2017

The Strategy Analytics report “Emission Mandates Boost Automotive Gas Sensors,” forecasts that tightening emission and fuel economy mandates, including legislation in the emerging markets, could result in the annual deployment of 177 million gas sensors in the market by 2017.
The majority of these sensors will measure oxygen in the exhaust system, with sophisticated wideband planar sensors coming to the fore. In addition, there will be growing demand for nitrogen oxide (NOx) sensing in the exhaust emissions of diesel and lean burn engines, as well as greater opportunities for cabin air quality sensors (AQS). Other sensors in development focus on ammonia exhaust emissions and sensors to detect hydrogen leakage in fuel cell vehicles.
In the meanwhile, vendors are continuing to enhance the performance of their sensors and develop more cost effective, flexible and smaller sensing modules. MEMS technology, for example, has enabled size reduction in AQS sensors, while accurate wideband oxygen sensors meet the demand for new direct injected engines.
Kevin Mak, analyst in the Automotive Electronics Service at Strategy Analytics, said, “There is no doubt that there will be growth in automotive gas sensors, as emerging markets begin to adopt the emission standards of mature markets. But the emphasis is now on improving sensor design and making gas sensors more accessible to areas in the market that find them too costly at present, and have little perceived value.”
Chris Webber, VP Global Automotive Practice, added, “There are new growth opportunities emerging for gas sensor products beyond exhaust oxygen sensing. However, there are some very specific regional and application influences on the scale and timing of this new demand that technology vendors need to understand in order to be successful.”