Understanding automotive sensor technology and development trends in one article

The rapid rise of the new energy vehicle market and the continuous improvement of autonomous driving technology have made automotive sensors the focus of the industry. Recently, KPMG China released the authoritative publication in the field of automotive technology, "Eyes of Wisdom: Opening a New Era of Automotive Perception" (hereinafter referred to as the "Report") for the first time. The report deeply analyzes the current development status and future trends of China's automotive sensor technology from the dimensions of automotive development background, industry status, market data and technological progress, and also provides a detailed interpretation of the market structure and advantages and disadvantages.

According to the report, the global automotive sensor market is expected to grow to 63 billion yuan in 2030, with an average annual compound growth rate of 8%. Currently, with the increasing advancement of autonomous driving technology and the steady growth of the new energy vehicle market, sensors are also facing broader development opportunities in the automotive field.

Detailed explanation of the innovation and breakthrough of automotive sensor technology

The report reviews the development history of the automotive sensor industry in detail. From the earliest mechanical sensors to today's intelligent sensors, the continuous innovation of technology has promoted the rapid development of the automotive sensor industry. Among them, the accelerated penetration of artificial intelligence and autonomous driving technologies has led to an explosive growth in the automotive industry's demand for intelligent sensors, and the market has also placed higher requirements on the performance stability, sensitivity and durability of automotive sensors.

Regarding the application of environmental perception sensor technology in the field of autonomous driving, the report points out that automotive perception technology is an important development direction of the automotive industry. Its application is not limited to traditional vehicle control, but also plays an increasingly important role in new energy vehicles, autonomous driving and other fields. In the field of autonomous driving, automotive perception technology plays an even more vital role. As a "star product" in the field of autonomous driving, LiDAR uses its high precision and high resolution to accurately draw a three-dimensional map around the vehicle, providing autonomous driving vehicles with powerful environmental perception capabilities; millimeter-wave radar, with its strong penetration and anti-interference, can still maintain stable performance in bad weather or low light conditions; high-definition cameras can accurately identify important information such as road signs, traffic signals and pedestrians; and ultrasonic radar, with its low cost and easy deployment, plays an important role in short-distance detection.

In addition, the report analyzes that a single sensor cannot cope with complex and changing environmental information, and multi-sensor fusion is an inevitable trend in the development of autonomous driving perception systems, so as to achieve more comprehensive and accurate environmental perception. The innovation and application of sensors in key links such as perception, decision-making and execution of autonomous driving will not only be limited to public transportation and logistics distribution, but will also be extended to industrial applications and other aspects, and its development prospects are broad. In the future, automotive sensor technology will develop in the direction of miniaturization, low power consumption, integration, and intelligent networking, leading the automotive industry into a new era.

LiDAR and millimeter wave radar become popular tracks

The report points out that although the development of China's sensor industry started relatively late compared with developed countries, with the strong policy support of the Chinese government and the combined effects of multiple factors such as technological innovation, empowerment of industry-leading companies, and promotion by emerging automobile manufacturers, the diversified development of the automotive sensor industry has become increasingly significant and is showing vigorous vitality.

With the upgrading of travel needs, autonomous driving technology and market demand continue to rise, and many domestic and foreign companies have also made plans. Among them, Asian automotive sensor companies are in a strong momentum, with frequent mergers and reorganizations. The report points out that LiDAR and millimeter-wave radar have become popular tracks for current automotive intelligent sensors. Their applications in the fields of autonomous driving and assisted driving have brought revolutionary changes to automobiles. Autonomous driving and assisted driving technologies have also achieved rapid development in Asia. Data shows that for two consecutive years in 2023 and 2024, China's annual sensor first stocks came from the field of LiDAR.

At present, foreign companies have formed a monopoly in the core technology and patents of automotive sensors. The industry generally has the phenomenon of rolling costs and rolling prices. my country's overall sensor industry lacks the ability to develop key core technologies. As an enterprise, it is also necessary to clarify its own positioning and constantly pursue innovation to cope with changes and challenges in the industry. On the one hand, automotive sensor companies should effectively integrate funds, technology and talent resources to ensure the continuous and stable advancement of technology, so as to build a solid technical barrier and maintain a leading position in the fierce market competition. On the other hand, some upstream and downstream companies in the sensor field should actively enter the automotive intelligent sensor market in order to share the rich results of industry development, and form complementarity and synergy with the main business, create a second growth curve for corporate development, and promote the entire industry to move towards a more mature and diversified direction.

Xu Kanling, the managing partner of KPMG China's automotive industry audit services, said that companies in the automotive industry should continue to strengthen cooperation with upstream and downstream of the industry chain to jointly promote the advancement and application of sensor technology. At the same time, they also need to continue to innovate, improve their technical strength, and pay attention to changes in policies and regulations to adapt to market changes and meet market needs.

Consumer changes bring challenges and opportunities to sensor technology

Whether it is a traditional car or a new energy car, the production, manufacturing, and assembly processes all require the support of sensor technology. The innovation of automotive sensor technology is not a matter of water without a source or a tree without roots. The report analyzes from multiple dimensions such as resource integration, talent development, data accumulation, and multi-level capital markets to explore solutions for enterprises.

In terms of promoting technological innovation, the "Report" analyzes that all automobile companies must persist in technological innovation and product upgrades, build a comprehensive system for data element management and application from strategic planning, governance system establishment to specific implementation, accelerate the complementary integration of various sensors, promote the digital transformation and upgrading of business models, improve the scientificity and accuracy of data analysis, and promote the development of the automobile industry towards intelligence, greenness, and efficiency, thereby promoting better breakthroughs in my country's industrial achievements and international cooperation in automotive sensors.

At present, China's automotive sensor industry is at the starting point of a golden period. The rapid rise of cutting-edge technologies such as autonomous driving, intelligent networking and new energy vehicles has brought new opportunities and challenges to the sensor market. Against this backdrop, the release of the report "Eyes of Wisdom: Opening a New Era of Automotive Perception" not only provides a clear development direction for companies in the industry, but also injects a strong impetus into the intelligent process of the entire automotive industry.