Chinese TPMS market tidbits

As long as TPMS remains the third largest selling intelligent car component after ABS and ESC, the performance of this technology in key emerging markets will remain of significant interest to the wider industry. With this in mind, and as part of more detailed coverage in our February magazine’s TPMS feature, we have prepared this brief market overview:

China issued recommended TPMS technical standards a few years back and these took effect on 1 July 2011. But, according to Research China, the TPMS assembly rate in the People’s Republic was as low as 9.65 per cent in 2012, due to the absence of related mandatory policies, consumers’ lack of awareness as well as the cost factor. As a result TPMS is mainly being fitted luxury vehicles such as the Audi A6 extended edition, Buick Park Avenue, Cadillac SLS, BMW 3 Series and 5 Series.

China Research reports that Schrader remains the world’s largest TPMS supplier, offering TPMS for OE brands including GM, Ford, Chrysler, Nissan, Renault, PSA and more. Schrader’s route into the China comes via an agent- Chowyoo Auto Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. The second largest TPMS supplier is said to be Continental. As far as the Chinese marketplace is concerned, its products are shipped for fitment in models like the Volvo S80L and Citroen-C5.

Currently, there are nearly 200 TPMS companies in China, which differs in scale and strength. Sources suggest the leading domestic TPMS makers include: Kysonix Inc. (via its SecuTire TPMS brand), Shanghai Baolong Automotive Corporation, Shanghai Topsystm Electronic Technology Co., Ltd., Nan Jing Top Sun Technology Co., Ltd., Shanghai Hang Sheng Industry Co., Ltd., Steelmate Co., Ltd., Shenzhen Autotech Co., Ltd., Sate Auto Electronic Co., Ltd. The company marched in the American market in 2002 and tapped into the European market in 2009, becoming a global TRW supplier; in 2010, it stretched its commercial arm towards Southeast Asia and the Middle East; in 2012, Kysonix Inc. exported its products to South Korea. As you might expect the level technology is not evenly distributed and only a few manufacturers (which Huidian Research names as companies like Baolong, Kysonix, Top Sun, State and Taihao) can achieve mass production.