Automobile manufacturers are increasingly incorporating larger sunroofs in cars because of the rising demand for greater glass surface area in the vehicles. The styling for aerodynamic contour makes the installation angle of back windows and windshields more pronounced, thus making them larger. A sunroof is designed for a reduction in blind spots and maybe morphed into the whole car roof. The enlarged glass surface area offers benefits like a greater field of view due to larger glass openings, reduced temperature of the cabin due to infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) reflective coatings, and curtail the entry of noise due to laminated windows.
Based on material type, automotive sunroofs are available in glass and fabric forms. The glass sunroofs are available as built-in, top mount, pop-up, tilt-n-slide, solar, and panoramic roofs. Due to the growing environmental concerns, automobile manufacturers are increasing their focus on solar glass sunroofs. The manufacturers in the automobile sector have developed a new variant of solar-reflective glass that allows for the better reflection of the near-infrared (NIR) part of the solar spectrum. Solar-reflective glass is employed to create sunroofs, as it consists of an inlaid photovoltaic insert or solar panel that makes the glass completely opaque.
Improvements in automotive sunroofs are offered by companies such as Automotive Sunroof Company, Yachiyo Industry Co. Ltd.,Nippon Sheet Glass Co. Ltd., Webasto SE,Aisin Seiki Co. Ltd., Johnan America Inc., Corning Inc., Inalfa Roof Systems Group B.V.,Inteva Products LLC, and Meritor Inc. These manufacturers are increasing their foothold to consolidate the competition. For example, in May 2016, Inteva Products LLC inaugurated its second production unit in Oradea, Romania, to manufacture components of roof system and increase its presence in Romania and other eastern European nations.
In the global automotive sunroof market, Europe has emerged as the largest consumer of automotive sunroofs in recent years because of the presence of automotive giants in the region. Besides, rising concerns regarding carbon emissions and constant technological developments in the automobile sector have led to the increasing adoption of automotive sunroofs. These sunroofs are being widely used in hybrid and electric vehicles as Europe is moving toward the adoption of alternative-fuel vehicles. Additionally, developers and innovators in the automobile industry are working toward developing sunroofs with built-in solar cells that generate power for the vehicles.
According to P&S Intelligence, the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region is expected to generate the fastest demand for automotive sunroofs in coming years. This can be ascribed to the surging presence of automotive manufacturers and rapid urbanization in the region. Additionally, the region is witnessing huge investments in the automobile sector for setting up of new manufacturing and assembling units due to favorable investment policies by governments, easy availability of raw materials, and cheap transportation and labor. Moreover, elevation in living standards and rising purchasing power are allowing individuals to increase expenditure on personal vehicles.
Thus, the evolving needs of consumers of the sedan, premium, and sports cars will increase the demand for automotive sunroofs in foreseeable future.
