Automotive Off-Highway Engine Market Trends

Automotive Off-Highway Engine Market Scenario :

The automotive industry manufactures automobiles not only for transportation of passengers and goods & materials, but also for the production of specialized vehicles. These specialty vehicles are manufactured according to the requirement in fields such as agriculture, construction, and oil refineries. Often, the entire automobile is custom made according to the unique need of the niche operation, for which the vehicle is to be used. The power requirement and the load requirement of the operation, decide the manufacture of the off-highway engine. The off-highway engine has to adhere to the strict emission norms laid down by the government and hence its production requires special design and production layout.

There are several factors that are responsible for the growth of the global automotive off-highway engine market. Firstly, the globally increasing population leads to the need for automation and mass scale production. Secondly, greater productivity can be achieved using advanced machinery, which works on off-highway engines, thus saving time. Thirdly, labor cost can be reduced with the use of these engines leading to a decrease in the production cost in any field of operation. The global automotive off-highway engine market is expected to expand with a CAGR of approx. 9% (2024 to 2030).

Mahindra and Mahindra Limited (India):  Unveiled new range of off-highway tractors with advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) for operator safety and efficiency. (Source: The Hindu BusinessLine, Nov 7, 2023)

Deere & Company (U.S.): Introduced John Deere Power Systems engines with Tier 4 Final compliance for agricultural equipment. (Source: Deere & Company website)

Automotive Off-Highway Engine Industry Developments

Bosch Rexroth joined hands with Modine, a partner in thermal management manufacturing, as of January 2024. Its purpose was to integrate the Modine EVantage thermal management systems into the Bosch Rexroth range of eLION products for electrical off-highway machinery all over the world.

A product development agreement between Zero Nox Inc., a specialist in sustainable vehicle electrification for off-highway markets and Kubota Corporation was signed in June 2023. This agreement will focus on products that are meant to be used off-road.

Forsee Power has partnered with Vensys Group to convert thermal off-highway vehicles into electric ones during June 2023. The former is a supplier of intelligent battery systems while the latter deals with electrohydraulic solutions designed specifically for agriculture and construction.

In April 2023, New Holland unveiled its new TE6 multifunctional straddle concept tractors specially made for narrow vineyards where compactness and maneuverability are required. The release date mentioned by the company was given as being before the end of this year only.

At the Indian Auto Expo held in December 2022, Cummins Inc. will show its fuel-agnostic solution implemented as part of Destination Zero. This platform is based on a common base engine with different cylinder heads and fuel systems made specifically for fuels like diesel, natural gas, renewable natural gas (RNG), and hydrogen.

Valvoline launched a new product in mid-July of 2021, which addresses the needs of heavy-duty engines – heavy-duty diesel engines operating in severe conditions and extreme duty cycles.

A strategic partnership between Caterpillar Inc. and Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc., was announced on 10 June 2021. In particular, this collaboration will result in the creation of Cat zero-emission machines that are used at the Matawinie graphite mine.

In January 2021, Cummins India declared that it would start production of its sophisticated 4.5-liter engine system for wheeled equipment at Pune plant near Maharashtra state capital city Pune.

Automotive Off-Highway Engine Market by Segmentation:

On the basis of power output, the 30-400 HP range off-highway engines are usually preferred in the agricultural field. Due to the large-scale agricultural activities all over the globe involving automation technology, this segment has a high demand. The engines above 400 HP are generally preferred in the construction industry. The construction activities globally have been consistent, especially in the developing countries. Thus, a large demand for the high powered off engine trucks has been witnessed for activities such as raw material carrying, and mortar mixing. On the basis of engine capacity, the maximum demand is for below 5-liter capacity. These vehicles are used mainly in a variety of applications such as road construction, agriculture and long distance transportation and are easily maneuverable due totheir small size.

Key Players

The key players in automotive off-highway engine market are Caterpillar Inc. (U.S.), Cummins Inc. (U.S.), Deutz AG (Germany), Kubota Corporation (Japan), Volvo Group (Sweden), and Mahindra and Mahindra Limited (India). Deere & Company (U.S.), J.C. Bamford Excavators Limited (U.K.), AGCO Corporation (U.S.), and Massey Ferguson Limited (U.S.) are among others.

On the basis of region, the market is segmented into North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Rest of the World. Asia Pacific market is expected to drive the growth of Off-Highway engines. The automotive industry in this region is being driven by countries such as India, China, and Japan. The automation research hub of Asia – Japan leads the region in market innovation. The increasing automation in sectors such as agriculture and construction in a growing economy like India, is leading to increased demand for high powered off-highway engines. The increased preference for large-scale agriculture activities such as harvesting, plowing, and sowing, among farmers, increases the demand for high-performance off-highway engines. This can be customized according to the power output requirement.

The report for Global Automotive Off-Highway Engine Market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions.