An air suspension system is an integration of components such as shock absorber, air spring, height sensor, air compressor, air reservoir, ECU, and others. The purpose of using an air suspension system is to provide a smooth and improved ride comfort and quality.
Increase in demand for cabin comfort, better control, maneuverability, and stability of the vehicle together have led to an increase in the demand for air suspension systems in recent years. An air suspension system offers benefits like wide tenability, customization and increased load carrying capacity. Hence, presently, air suspension systems dominate the bus segment. Due to their high cost as compared to the cost of conventional suspension systems, these are limited to the premium segment in the passenger car segment. Owing to the rising demand for increased fuel efficiency and decreased emissions, automotive air suspension system manufacturers are focusing on developing lightweight and electronically-controlled suspension systems. For instance, Wabco Holdings Corporation (Belgium) has developed an electronically-controlled air suspension (ECAS) for heavy duty trucks. The increased demand for enhanced comfort has led to air suspension systems being introduced in passenger cars. For instance, Mercedes incorporated the AIRMATIC suspension system in the new Mercedes C-Class vehicle. Electric and hybrid vehicles, such as Audi R18 e-tron quattro Le Mans racer vehicle, use regenerative suspension systems. Additionally, new vehicles’ ride height control technology is expected to enhance fuel efficiency and handling performance.
Geographically, Europe is expected to lead the global automotive air suspension market during the forecast period. This is attributed to the surging demand for comfortable public transit, which is likely to augment the market growth over the forecast period. Germany and France are the two major manufacturing hubs for the automotive giants in Europe.
The widespread presence of international automotive manufacturing giants in Europe is expected to positively impact the market growth in the coming years. The demand for fuel-efficient vehicles in countries, such as Germany, the U.K., France and Italy, is projected to boost the automotive air suspension market demand significantly in the near future.
Some of the major players operating in the global automotive air suspension system market include Hendrickson International Corporation, Thyssenkrupp AG, WABCO Holdings Inc., Continental AG, BWI Group, Hitachi Ltd., Mando Corporation, Accuair Suspension, Firestone Industrial Products, Dunlop Systems and Components.
