TAGS: Polyurethane Adhesives
Research and Markets (RM) anticipates that the global electric vehicle (EV) adhesives market size is estimated to be USD 0.4 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach USD 1.8 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 44.7% between 2021 and 2026.
An adhesive is a chemical substance used to join materials (substrates), either identical or different, by their surfaces. EV adhesives are used in various applications such as body-in-white, paint shop, powertrain, and assembly. In this report, the market has been defined as the adhesives used in electric vehicles (EV).
The types of electric vehicles considered are electric car, electric bus, electric bike (2-wheeler), and electric truck. Polymer, composite, and metal have been considered as the major substrates on which EV adhesives are used.
The application of EV adhesives is increasing due to various requirements by automakers, such as bonding similar and dissimilar materials, substitution of traditional substrates materials by synthetic substrates, and the increasing focus on environmental concerns. EV adhesives address various engineering and design issues as they have the ability to resist vibration, are lightweight, and enable the distribution of stress over a wide area.
Exterior Application: Largest Application Segment
The rising production and sale of electric cars have increased the demand for batteries, electric motors, doors, instrument cluster, infotainment system, seats, various panels, and charging sockets. Batteries are the most important components of electric cars as they provide power to the car.
The battery of the car is heavier than the other parts. In order to counter the weight of batteries and reduce the overall weight of electric cars, lightweight materials are used in electric car applications. In the electric vehicle industry, adhesives are used in place of welds, screws, rivets, gaskets, and fasteners, which allows automakers to make the vehicle lightweight. One of the concerns in electric vehicles is range. Automakers are addressing this issue by increasing the battery capacity of the vehicle.
The design of electric vehicles has to be lightweight to counter the weight of the battery system used in electric vehicles. The bonding of dissimilar materials is done with the help of structural adhesives to replaces fasteners, rivets, and spot welding, which contributes to reducing the weight of vehicles. The use of structural adhesives also addresses the issue of crashworthiness and safety of battery systems in electric vehicles. With the continuous development in technology, the consumption of adhesives in the exterior parts of electric vehicles will further increase during the forecast period.
Polyurethane: Largest Resin Type Segment
The use of adhesives in EV is expected to increase during the forecast period. The various applications of adhesives in EV require different types of adhesives derived from resins such as epoxy, polyurethane, silicone, and acrylic. Adhesives made of different resins have different properties and are chosen according to the specific application.
Polyurethane adhesives are made of urethane polymers. They exhibit extraordinary elasticity and elongation up to 600% before fracture. There are three types of polyurethane adhesives, two-component polyurethane, one-component rigid polyurethane adhesives, and two-component elastic polyurethane adhesives. The bonds of polyurethane adhesives are formed in two stages: firstly, the adhesive cools back down to reach the holding strength and, secondly, the adhesive uses the moisture to continue curing for hours to days to reach the final structural strength.
Electric Cars: Largest Vehicle Type Segment
The demand for EVs is increasing at a rapid pace due to growing environmental concerns, even as the sale of ICE vehicles is seeing a slump. The implementation of favorable policies for EVs and technological advancements in the value chain will drive the EV market in the next five years. The growth of electric cars and buses is expected to drive the growth of EV adhesives during the forecast period.
Vehicle manufacturers announced increasingly ambitious electrification plans. Out of the world’s top 20 vehicle manufacturers, which represented around 90% of new car registrations in 2020, 18 have stated plans to widen their portfolio of models and to rapidly scale up the production of light-duty electric vehicles. The growth of electric cars is driven by critical policy changes adopted by leading countries in electric mobility.
These countries have introduced stricter emission standards in addition to incentives for electric cars and are promoting investments in the EVs industry value chain to bring price parity between EV and ICE vehicles. In an EV, adhesive technology plays a critical part in making the EV lightweight as it is used in a number of applications. The growing EV markets such as Europe, APAC, and North America will provide growth opportunities for EV adhesive manufacturers during the forecast period.
Largest Share in APAC Region
APAC accounted for the largest share of the EV Adhesives Market in 2020, followed by Europe and North America. The rising trade war tensions between the US and China and low labor costs in China have forced various end-users of adhesives to relocate and establish their manufacturing base in the ASEAN countries.
This relocation is expected to increase the demand for adhesives in the ASEAN countries. India offers low-cost labor, which can provide significant investment opportunities for companies. Government initiatives such as “Make in India” and the proposed scheme on entrepreneurship development by the government may open up additional opportunities in the industrial and infrastructure construction segments. All these factors are expected to drive the market in APAC.
Source: Research and Markets