Liftgate is generally made of steel by auto OEMs themselves; however, with the advent of lightweight components, composites have been in limelight and have already become successful in making a remarkable presence in liftgate of vehicles. Composites play a vital role in contributing to weight reduction without compromising the strength and performance of the overall system. This is attracting tier players as well as raw material suppliers including resin, fiber, and coating suppliers, to tap the growing opportunity of composites in the automotive liftgate market. Composite liftgate is among the list of few automotive components that are experiencing staggering growth. Composite liftgate account for less than one-fifth of the overall liftgate market at present but forays huge growth potential in the coming years. Stringent regulations imposed by governments of many countries are putting pressure on the automakers to curb the overall vehicle weight to increase fuel efficiency or reduce carbon emissions. Liftgates could not escape itself from such regulations and experienced a significant change in the selection of materials over the period.
The market is segmented based on the vehicle type as Hatchback, SUV, and Others. Hatchback is likely to remain the most dominant vehicle type segment over the next five years; however, SUV is likely to be the fastest-growing segment during the same period. Renault Clio and Megane; Peugeot 308 and 508; and BMW i3 are some key hatchback models that contain composite liftgate. The market is segmented based on the manufacturing process type as Injection Molding, and Compression Molding. Injection molding is expected to remain the most dominant manufacturing process over the next five years, whereas compression molding is likely to experience higher growth during the same period. Sheet molding compound (SMC) and long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic (LFRT) compounds are the major types of composites being processed for fabricating composite liftgate. Based on regions, Europe is expected to remain the largest automotive composite liftgate market during the forecast period. European OEMs, such as Group PSA, Groupe Renault, and BMW AG, have been early movers in adopting composite liftgate, which led to the dominance of region in the global market. Asia-Pacific is likely to be the fastest-growing region in the global automotive composite liftgate market, driven by China. Despite weakening economic growth of China, the country is still able to attract investments from automakers. All the major global automakers are rolling out their assembly plants in the country in order to serve both, growing the local demands as well as target export market. This is also imprinting a huge impact on the overall market dynamics of liftgates as well as composite liftgates as the country is gradually becoming the major market for composite liftgates. The supply chain of this market comprises raw material suppliers, composite compound suppliers, composite liftgate manufacturers, automotive OEMs, and dealers. Major automotive composite liftgate manufacturers are Plastic Omnium Group, Magna International Inc. and Trinseo S.A. Development of lightweight composite liftgates, targeting untapped vehicle models, execution of mergers & acquisitions, and formation of long-term contracts with OEMs are the key strategies adopted by the major players to gain a competitive edge in the market.
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The E-Golf is bigger and more robust than the suite of subcompact EVs from Fiat, Chevy, Smart, and Mitsubishi. The VW electric car, while cheaper than EVs from BMW and Tesla, does not fully compete in terms of luxury features, design, and innovative technology. That puts the VW E-Golf in the group of all-electric five-seat compacts that includes the Chevy Bolt, Nissan LEAF, and Ford Focus Electric. Compared to LEAF and Focus EV, the E-Golf feels more solid. When windows and doors shut, they do so with confidence—sealing passengers into a comfortable well-built cabin with quality materials, and shutting off road noise. Operation of knobs and controls is direct and intuitive. The quality of the package is a step or two above what’s offered by Chevy, Nissan, and Ford with its electric cars. The remaining distinguishing factor is the level of commitment from the different automakers. Nissan is all-in, with domestic LEAF production and availability in all 50 states. But Volkswagen, while claiming that it wants the industry’s leadership position in terms of electrifying the automobile, has not yet backed that goal with big production and wide distribution of battery-powered plug-in cars.
