Global Telematics Control Unit Shipments Grew 13% YoY in 2021
- LG led the global TCU market in 2021, followed by Continental and Harman.
- US, China and Germany were the top three geographies in the global TCU market.
- 5G is still a niche segment, capturing less than 1% of global TCU volumes.
San Diego, Buenos Aires, London, New Delhi, Hong Kong, Beijing, Seoul – April 7, 2022
Global telematics control unit (TCU) shipments grew 13% YoY in 2021, according to the latest research from Counterpoint’s Global Telematics Control Unit Tracker. This growth came despite the COVID-19 outbreak and supply chain shortages, and was driven by the rising penetration of connected cars and the consumer preference for digital features. Moreover, favourable government policies such as eCall mandates are also helping this market to grow. The global ASP (average selling price) of TCUs increased slightly in 2021 due to the rising cost of 4G chipsets. We expect the supply situation to remain constrained through much of 2022. Commenting on the market dynamics, Senior Research Analyst Soumen Mandal said, “LG leads the global TCU market, followed by Continental and Harman. These top three players account for nearly three-quarters of the market. LG’s TCU shipments grew 19% YoY in 2021. Its close relationships with GM and Volkswagen in the Chinese and US markets are helping LG maintain its leadership position. LG is leading across all major regions except Europe. Continental, the second-largest TCU player, has a good hold on the European market, especially Germany, France and UK. However, it lost around 2% market share in 2021 compared to 2020. Continental launched 5G TCUs in early 2022 to target 5G opportunities in the automotive sector. We expect this to help Continental regain share in the coming quarters. Harman, the third-largest player, is mainly focused on the luxury car market. It is already offering 5G TCUs with leading premium brands. Harman’s expertise in the automotive industry and its strong distribution channels via Samsung will likely help it to win more deals and improve its position. Among other brands, Denso and Visteon made big improvements in the TCU brand ranking list for 2021. The partnerships between Denso and Toyota, and Visteon and Ford are proving beneficial for these brands.”
Source: Counterpoint Global Telematics Control Unit Tracker, Q4 2021
With technology transitions, 2G and 3G are unable to meet the data demands of cars. And with especially 3G being phased out, 4G and 5G are becoming the only viable options. Currently, more than 90% of connected cars are using 4G TCUs. However, 4G is reaching maturity. We have already seen a few 5G chipsets, NAD modules and TCU launches in 2021. We expect more cars will be equipped with 5G connectivity this year. Moreover, increasing penetration of autonomous vehicles and C-V2X deployment will help in 5G adoption as well.
Looking at connectivity trends, Research Analyst Mohit Sharma said, “As we move to higher levels of autonomy, the amount of data generated by ADAS sensors will surpass 400MB/s. To process all this data, high processing power will be required. In addition, more sophisticated AI algorithms will be required along with large volumes of data storage. The industry has to shift to 5G for cloud computing. 5G will provide more than 30 times faster data speeds and promises to reduce latency by 10 times.”
Autonomous vehicles, connected cars and electrification are the main trends shaping the future of mobility. Connectivity will be the backbone of these systems. OEMs are enhancing existing connectivity services like infotainment and OTA software updates while adding newer services like custom entertainment packages and insurance. Automakers are pushing connected services to diversify their revenue streams and more closely understand the overall customer behaviour to improve their car’s performance and services.
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Counterpoint Research is a global industry and market research firm providing market data, intelligence, thought leadership and consulting across the technology ecosystem. We advise a diverse range of global clients spanning the supply chain – from chipmakers, component suppliers, manufacturers and software and application developers to service providers, channel players and investors. Our veteran team of analysts serve these clients through our offices located across the key innovation hubs, manufacturing clusters and commercial centers globally. Our analysts consistently engage with C-suite through to strategy, market intelligence, supply chain, R&D, product management, marketing, sales and others across the organization. Counterpoint’s key coverage areas: AI, Automotive, Cloud, Connectivity, Consumer Electronics, Displays, eSIM, IoT, Location Platforms, Macroeconomics, Manufacturing, Networks & Infra, Semiconductors, Smartphones and Wearables.