Medium & Heavy Commercial Vehicles Exhaust System Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2021-2031

The Global Medium & Heavy Commercial Vehicles (MHCV) Exhaust System Market is projected to expand from USD 13.81 Billion in 2025 to USD 20.85 Billion by 2031, reflecting a CAGR of 7.11%. This market encompasses the engineering and production of noise attenuation and emission treatment components, such as manifolds, mufflers, particulate filters, and catalytic converters. Growth is primarily driven by the enforcement of strict international emission standards, which require the adoption of complex after-treatment devices to reduce particulate matter and nitrogen oxides. Additionally, the ongoing growth of global infrastructure and logistics sectors fuels the need for fleet renewal, ensuring steady demand for heavy-duty internal combustion engine vehicles and their exhaust hardware.

However, the market faces significant headwinds due to economic instability and volatility in vehicle production volumes. High interest rates and rising operational costs have caused a contraction in the commercial vehicle sector, effectively shrinking the addressable market for exhaust manufacturers. For instance, the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) reported a 6.3% decline in new EU truck registrations in 2024, amounting to 327,896 units. This downturn highlights how macroeconomic pressures can delay fleet procurement, subsequently restraining the growth of the exhaust system market.

Market Drivers

The implementation of stringent global emission regulations serves as the primary catalyst for the MHCV exhaust system market. Regulatory authorities worldwide are imposing tighter limits on particulate matter and nitrogen oxides, forcing manufacturers to adopt advanced after-treatment technologies like Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF) and Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR). These mandates require higher-value exhaust architectures, thereby increasing revenue per vehicle for suppliers as OEMs work to ensure compliance. For example, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized stricter emission standards for model year 2027 heavy-duty vehicles in March 2024 under the 'Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles - Phase 3' rule, securing long-term demand for sophisticated emission control hardware in North America.

Concurrently, the expansion of the freight transportation and logistics sectors is driving sustained volume growth for exhaust components. As global trade intensifies, the demand for robust fleet capabilities rises, boosting the production of heavy-duty trucks needed for cross-border supply chains and offsetting regional slowdowns through export opportunities. Data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) in January 2025 showed that Chinese commercial vehicle exports jumped by 17.5% year-on-year in 2024, reaching 904,000 units. Similarly, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) reported domestic commercial vehicle sales of approximately 950,000 units in India during 2024, underscoring the vital role of freight infrastructure in maintaining market momentum.

Market Challenges

The MHCV exhaust system market encounters a significant obstacle due to economic instability and the resulting volatility in vehicle production volumes. Rising operational costs and high interest rates are placing pressure on the logistics and transportation sectors, leading fleet operators to postpone the purchase of new trucks and buses. This delay in fleet renewal causes a contraction in the commercial vehicle sector, which directly impacts original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Because the exhaust system market is inextricably linked to new vehicle assembly, any reduction in MHCV manufacturing output results in fewer orders for essential emission control components, including catalytic converters, manifolds, and mufflers.

Recent industrial data highlights the severity of this downturn in key developing regions that typically drive global volume growth. A decline in end-user demand forces manufacturers to scale back production to avoid inventory surpluses. For instance, the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) reported an 11.56% year-over-year decrease in retail sales of heavy commercial vehicles in India in November 2024, totaling 24,441 units. This sharp contraction in vehicle uptake limits the addressable market for exhaust hardware suppliers, as the reduced throughput of heavy-duty vehicles leads to a direct and unavoidable drop in the volume of exhaust sub-assemblies required for production.

Market Trends

The development of hydrogen internal combustion engine exhausts is fundamentally reshaping component engineering as manufacturers adapt combustion technology for zero-carbon fuels. Unlike traditional diesel engines, hydrogen combustion generates exhaust with unique acoustic properties and high water vapor content, necessitating the use of specialized muffling architectures and advanced corrosion-resistant alloys. This technological shift ensures that emission control hardware can withstand the specific chemical and thermal stresses of hydrogen propulsion while remaining durable. As reported by The Hindu in March 2025, Tata Motors illustrated this trend by deploying a fleet of 16 hydrogen-powered vehicles, including internal combustion engine models, to validate their performance across major freight corridors.

Additionally, the deployment of electrically heated catalysts for cold starts has emerged as a crucial technical trend to meet next-generation emission mandates requiring near-zero nitrogen oxide levels immediately upon ignition. Since passive exhaust heat is often insufficient during low-load urban driving or cold starts, suppliers are integrating active electric heating elements directly into the aftertreatment architecture to rapidly raise catalyst temperatures. This active thermal management ensures optimal pollutant conversion efficiency regardless of engine operating conditions. Exemplifying this innovation, Cummins Inc. introduced a new aftertreatment design in April 2025 featuring two 5kW electric heaters powered by a 48V alternator to guarantee rapid catalytic activation for compliance with 2027 standards.

Key Players Profiled in the Medium & Heavy Commercial Vehicles (MHCV) Exhaust System Market

• Faurecia S.A.
• Tenneco Inc.
• Eberspacher Group
• Benteler International AG
• Bosal International N.V.
• Futaba Industrial Co., Ltd.
• Katcon Global
• Yutaka Giken Co., Ltd.
• Sejong Industrial Co., Ltd.
• Sango Co., Ltd.

Report Scope

In this report, the Global Medium & Heavy Commercial Vehicles Exhaust System Market has been segmented into the following categories:

Medium & Heavy Commercial Vehicles Exhaust System Market, by Fuel Type:

• Gasoline
• Diesel

Medium & Heavy Commercial Vehicles Exhaust System Market, by After Treatment Type:

• Diesel Oxidation Catalyst
• Selective Catalytic Reduction
• Gasoline Particulate filter

Medium & Heavy Commercial Vehicles Exhaust System Market, by Component Type:

• Catalytic Converter
• Tailpipe
• Mufflers

Medium & Heavy Commercial Vehicles Exhaust System Market, by Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• South America
• Middle East & Africa

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in the Global Medium & Heavy Commercial Vehicles Exhaust System Market.

Available Customization

The analyst offers customization according to your specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:

• Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).

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