In designing cars and light trucks, automakers have many goals, including:
- More comfort and convenience features
- Greater safety
- Greater fuel economy
- Cleaner exhaust
- Reduced maintenance needs
- Easier vehicle assembly
- Reduced costs
- Differentiated vehicles
Systems based on electric motors advance many of these goals, and the number of electric motors used on light vehicles has soared.
Applications and Installation Rates
In the 1950s, most vehicles simply had an electric blower motor -- power windows and convertible tops were in extremely limited use. Windshield wipers were powered by engine vacuum.
Today, light vehicles average about 20 motors each. Virtually all vehicles have electrically driven wipers, washer pumps, blowers, and fuel pumps. Some vehicles even have two of these units. Power windows, door locks, and mirrors are found on many vehicles. So are antilock brakes and cruise control systems, which are based on electric motors. Power seats and electric engine cooling fans are found on about half of all vehicles. Vent flap actuators and exhaust gas recirculation valve actuators are transitioning from vacuum power to electric actuation. Electronic throttle control (ETC) is gaining in installation, but this trend mainly replaces cruise control motors with ETC motors.
Electric motors also are used in a range of less-common applications, such as power sunroofs, antennas, and even running boards. In coming years, more motors and actuators for functions such as electric power steering, electric braking, electrically driven oil and water pumps, and electrically driven air conditioning compressors are likely to appear on North American vehicles.
The Market Situation
In 2002, demand for 332.0 million motors generated revenues of about $2.01 billion for their manufacturers. With about 16.8 million vehicles manufactured, that works out to about $120 per vehicle.
Revenues are expected to grow less rapidly than demand because prices are being compressed. Automakers constantly pressure their suppliers for lower prices, seeking to remain profitable in a very competitive new-vehicle market. Only about 24 companies supply electric motors to automakers in North America, but fierce competition compels them to meet their customers'' price expectations. Manufacturers of electric motors tend to be Tier Two suppliers, meaning that they do not supply directly to automakers. Instead, they supply to system and module manufacturers, which are the Tier One suppliers. Price pressure is passed down the supply chain from automakers to Tier One to Tier Two suppliers.
Technology Trends
Trends supporting the average price of electric motors include more use of brushless motors and motors with built-in intelligence. The latter concept is called "mechatronics" -- the integration of electronics into mechanical devices. Some examples of potential mechatronic functions are window lift motors that automatically reverse direction when they detect an obstacle, engine cooling systems that manage engine temperature very precisely, and memory mirror and seat systems. However, the trends to brushless and mechatronic motors are expected to be weak at best.
Automakers have been developing 42-volt electrical systems, which would provide enough power for substantially more onboard electrical equipment. Once automakers begin to equip vehicles with these higher-voltage systems, this trend and the trend to more electric motors will support and reinforce each other. The above forecast of demand for electric motors errs on the side of caution.