“A major factor fuelling the demand for automotive bearings is the increasing focus of automobile manufacturers throughout the world on reducing the weight of the vehicles” as these bearings contribute significantly to the total weight of an automobile. Many automakers are increasingly incorporating advanced bearings in their vehicles, especially in sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and modern cars in order to reduce the weight of the vehicles, which will, in turn, increase their efficiency.

Apart from being lighter in weight, these advanced bearings also have higher stiffness and durability, on account of the advanced lightweight substances that are used for manufacturing them. Automobile manufacturers are also incorporating improved forging techniques and low tolerance in the production processes of the bearings for reducing their weights. Besides these factors, the increasing sales of passenger cars, on account of the flourishing automotive industry, particularly in the developing nations such as India, Indonesia, Thailand, and China, is also contributing toward the burgeoning sales of automotive bearings across the world.

Hence, with the growing adoption of lightweight bearings in vehicles and soaring sales of automobiles all over the world, the global automotive bearing market will grow, in valuation, from $33.4 billion to $53.3 billion from 2018 to 2025. “The market is also expected to advance at a CAGR of 6.9% from 2018 to 2025, as per the forecasts of the market research company, P&S Intelligence”. Roller bearings, plain bearings, and ball bearings are the most common types of bearings used in vehicles, out of which, the demand for ball bearings was observed to be the highest in the past.

These bearings are usually sold by original equipment suppliers (OESs), independent aftermarket (IAM), and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Out of these, “the sales of automotive bearings through the OEM sales channel is predicted to increase at the fastest rate across the world”. This is mainly because of the fact that the bearing manufacturing companies are rapidly manufacturing advanced products and enhancing their manufacturing capacities, platforms, and related services for providing better products and services to the consumers, which is, in turn, increasing the demand for these materials from the OEMs.

From passenger cars and commercial vehicles to electric vehicles and two-wheelers, these bearings are used in almost every type of vehicle around the world. Out of these vehicles, “the utilization of automotive bearings was recorded to be considerably high in the electric vehicles in the last few years”. This primarily due to the large-scale adoption of electric vehicles in several countries around the world, on account of the presence of favorable government policies such as subsidies and other incentives on the purchase of these vehicles and the high pollution levels caused from the fuels-powered automobiles.

In terms of material used, the bearings are divided into different types namely solid polymer, metal polymer, and fiber-reinforced composite bearings. Out of these different variants, “the sales of the metal polymer bearings was found to be the highest all over the world over the last few years”. This is credited to the numerous advantages of these bearings over the other types such as their longer lifespans and cost-effectiveness and dimensionally stable and minimal stick-slip characteristics.

Till now, “the automotive bearing market registered the highest growth, in terms of volume, in Asia-Pacific (APAC)”. “In the APAC region, China recorded large-scale usage of these bearings in the past and this trend is predicted to continue in the forthcoming years as well". This is predominantly because of the increasing sales of automobiles in the country and the subsequent surge in the demand for these bearings, especially the small-sized and low-end ones in the country.

Therefore, it can be said with confidence that the sales of automotive bearings will shoot-up throughout the world in the coming years, mainly on account of the rising demand for lower vehicle weights and the ballooning sales of automobiles all over the world.