The global relay market is projected to expand at a 6.22% CAGR, attaining USD 17.187 billion by 2030 from USD 12.709 billion in 2025.
An electronically controlled switch is a relay that is made up of a set of operating contact terminals and a set of input terminals for one or more control impulses. Any number of contacts in various contact types, such as make contacts, break contacts, or combinations of both, may be present on the switch. Due to their ability to control high-power devices with low-power signals, relays are now a common fixture in automotive, industrial, and electronic uses.
Furthermore, by keeping delicate electronic devices isolated from high voltage and current sources, they offer insulation and security to those devices. Several key factors, including the rise in power consumption, the expanding use of electric vehicles, the deployment of smart power grids, and the rising acceptance of vehicle safety technology, are anticipated to boost the global relay market growth during the forecasted period.
As the market for hybrid and electric vehicles expands globally, manufacturers are being forced to spend more on producing solid-state relays than more conventional heavy electromechanical relays. This is due to the increased demand for advanced relays with lightweight and high-performance characteristics, which will also benefit future market development.
The market for solid-state relays has benefited from the expansion of the industrial sector over the past few decades, particularly in developing regions like Asia Pacific and Latin America. For instance, in August 2022, the National Bureau of Statistics of China reported that industrial output in China increased by 4.2% YoY as opposed to the reading of 3.8% in July, as after the pandemic, industrial output increased for four months in a run. As the demand for solid-state relay applications in industrial production and manufacturing increases, it will also boost the global relay market growth.
Vehicles enabled by software instead of hardware are becoming more common in the automotive sector, and the typical amount of electronics and software in each vehicle is rising quickly. The relays for automotive uses are designed to manage power levels in challenging environments and direct current (DC) voltages in passenger comfort and infotainment systems. Most harnesses and box modules in a car, including the powertrain, passenger and engine compartments, door, seat, roof, and fan modules, use relays. As electric vehicle sales increase, the demand for relays will also grow.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), electric vehicle sales in 2021 reached 6.6 million units, showing a sales share of approximately 9% compared to 2020. According to the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA) data, the production of cars globally has increased from 7,76,50,152 units in 2020 to 8,50,16,728 units in 2022, showing a variation of a 10% increase. This demonstrates that demand for relays will increase due to the increased development and sales of electric vehicles and cars in automotive worldwide, which will drive the global relay market growth.
During the projection period, Asia-Pacific is expected to dominate the relay market. The relay market will be driven by rapidly rising investments, production capacity, and sales of automotive vehicles. Additionally, automakers throughout the area are being encouraged to engage in electric vehicles (EVs) by governments' stricter emission regulations. As a result, numerous manufacturers are making huge investments in creating and introducing new EVs. According to the IEA data, the registration of battery EVs in China increased from 931 thousand units in 2020 to 2734 thousand units in 2021, showing the EV market share increased from 5% to 16% in a year. In October 2021, Tata Motors announced that private equity company TPG and Abu Dhabi's ADQ had agreed to invest USD 1 billion in its electric vehicle sector. These factors add to market growth in the Asia Pacific region's growing auto sector, boosting the global relay market growth.
The Global Relay Market is segment and analyzed as follows: