The global chassis sector

The chassis of a modern car primarily serves as the interface between the car body, occupants and the road. The components and systems in a chassis perform the functions of steering, stabilising and decelerating the vehicle, and are all geared to providing the optimum road contact at each wheel/tyre corner of the vehicle.

Over time, chassis systems have evolved to offer greater stability, comfort and driver assistance, all of which improves road safety. Both antilock braking and electronic stability control can brake a vehicle and maintain its lateral stability far more effectively than the vast majority of drivers can do manually. Power assisted steering has greatly reduced driver effort in steering input, and active steering varies the degree of power assistance depending on driving conditions and can interact with brake control systems to assist a driver in case of emergency oversteer or understeer.

Damping systems have developed rapidly in the last five years, and several variants of adaptive, or semi-active systems are on the market.

Comprehensive study addressing the key issues

This exclusive report from ABOUT Automotive and Autelligence addresses the critical issues facing the automotive chassis sector, and is broken down into seven major sections:

• Braking components, modules and systems
  
• Suspension & damping systems
  
• Steering systems
  
• Chassis sector supplier profiles
  
• OEM system technology trends
  
• OEM modular sourcing trends
  
• Technology roadmap

The report defines and examines the key components, systems and modules that make up the chassis of a modern car, with specific regard to market usage, technological trends and forecast developments. This includes mainstream, mass-market technology, as well as innovative and advanced technology where appropriate in each product area.

In addition, the report provides market shares of the leading supplier competitors in each major product area, and the approach of each supplier to the market, including its role within the emergence of innovative technologies. Likewise, the research provides an analysis of the technology and sourcing trends apparent among the major global carmakers.

Data coverage

The report includes valuable market share analysis as well as volume penetration and fitment rates:

• Volume penetration of adaptive damping systems
  
• Electronic stability control (ESC) fitment rates
  
• Electronic stability control (ESC) market shares
  
• Air suspension systems market shares
  
• Passive damper market shares
  
• Electric power steering (EPS) fitment rates

Answering key questions such as:

• Will the indefinite delay in 42v technology and the rejection of EHB as a viable mainstream technology have serious implications for engineers and developers?
• What percentage of all new cars sold in Europe were fitted with EPS in 2004, and how does this compare to other regions such as North America and Japan?
• How has the spread of lean manufacturing practices and concepts influenced the direction of the suspension module sector?
• Why is the growth of electric steering forecast to be slow in North America, and how does this contrast with the forecast growth in other regions?
• How many vehicles annually are built using an outsourced axle/suspension module, and how quickly will this trend toward outsourcing grow?
• Why are Japanese manufacturers reluctant to adopt the use of supplier assembled modules?
• Which OEMs have actively engaged with emerging chassis technologies such as adaptive cruise control and semi-active damping?

Detailed chassis sector supplier profiles

The report provides detailed coverage of the main players in the chassis sector. Each company is assessed in terms of its major chassis products, market share and position for its major products, strategy for the chassis sector, key programs and new product development/chassis innovation management. The companies that are profiled are:

• Bosch
  
• Continental Automotive Systems
  
• Delphi
  
• Tenneco
  
• ThyssenKrupp
  
• TRW
  
• ZF Friedrichshafen

Concise, thumbnail profiles are also included for ArvinMeritor, Kayaba, Benteler and Dana.