Passenger Car Gear Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2021-2031

The Global Passenger Car Gear Market is projected to expand from USD 5.83 billion in 2025 to USD 8.11 billion by 2031, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of 5.66%. This sector consists of mechanical components critical for speed regulation and torque transmission within vehicle drivetrains. Growth is primarily supported by the resuscitation of global automotive manufacturing rates and an increased demand for sophisticated transmission systems designed to improve fuel efficiency. Data from the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers indicates that global motor vehicle output hit 92.5 million units in 2024, establishing a solid foundation of demand for transmission assemblies and their essential gear components.

However, the industry faces substantial hurdles due to the ongoing electrification of powertrains. Unlike internal combustion engines that rely on multi-speed transmissions, electric vehicles predominantly utilize simpler single-speed reduction gearboxes, a design choice that inherently lowers the volume of gears needed per vehicle. This structural transformation compels manufacturers to overhaul their production strategies, prioritizing fewer, high-precision components essential for noise reduction in electric drive units, which presents considerable financial and operational obstacles to sustained market growth.

Market Drivers

Increasing global passenger vehicle manufacturing and sales volumes serve as the main propellant for the gear market. As automotive companies accelerate production to satisfy post-pandemic recovery and demand in emerging markets, the total number of transmission assemblies - and their internal gears - grows concurrently. This expansion is especially notable in Asian markets, where elevated production levels maintain strong order books for component suppliers. For instance, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) reported in January 2025 that the nation achieved a cumulative automobile production of 31.28 million units in 2024, a benchmark that correlates directly with a rise in gear procurement.

Furthermore, the rapid uptake of electric and hybrid vehicle powertrains is fundamentally altering gear value chains and specifications. Although pure electric vehicles often require fewer gears, the boom in hybrid vehicles maintains the need for complex multi-speed transmissions, while electric drive units necessitate high-precision gears to mitigate noise, vibration, and harshness at high speeds. This evolution pushes suppliers toward higher-value components, with the International Energy Agency (IEA) projecting in May 2025 that global electric car sales would surpass 20 million units for the year. Reflecting this trend, Assembly Magazine noted in November 2025 that Toyota committed a $912 million investment to enhance hybrid-electric vehicle assembly and advanced powertrain manufacturing at its United States facilities.

Market Challenges

The shift toward powertrain electrification acts as a structural barrier to the expansion of the Global Passenger Car Gear Market. In contrast to internal combustion engine vehicles, which employ multi-speed transmissions with multiple gear sets to regulate speed and torque, electric vehicles typically utilize single-speed reduction gearboxes. This technological difference significantly decreases the number of gears needed per unit, thereby lowering the total volume of components requested by original equipment manufacturers. Consequently, even as overall vehicle production numbers rebound, the revenue potential for gear suppliers is limited by this reduction in content per vehicle.

This decline in component volume is intensifying within major manufacturing hubs, resulting in a distinct drop in demand for complex gear assemblies. As battery-powered vehicles gain market share, the total addressable market for conventional transmission gears shrinks considerably. According to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, sales of new energy vehicles surpassed 12 million units in 2024. This widespread adoption of simplified electric drivetrains within the world's largest automotive market highlights how the transition away from internal combustion engines directly restricts growth opportunities for traditional gear manufacturers.

Market Trends

The rise of Integrated Electric Axle (e-Axle) Gear Systems marks a foundational change in drivetrain architecture, combining the transmission, power electronics, and electric motor into one compact unit to optimize efficiency and power density. This integration necessitates high-precision helical gears that can manage higher input speeds while reducing overall package size, compelling suppliers to adjust their manufacturing lines for these intricate 3-in-1 systems. This structural shift is driving substantial investment in advanced manufacturing; for example, Linamar Corporation announced in a January 2025 press release a capital investment plan of roughly $1.1 billion to boost production capacity for next-generation mobility technologies, including specialized eAxle and hybrid propulsion systems.

Simultaneously, the transition toward lightweight composite and hybrid gear materials is accelerating as manufacturers aim to address noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) issues in quiet electric vehicle interiors. The substitution of traditional metal gears with high-performance engineering thermoplastics, such as PEEK (polyetheretherketone), markedly lowers component weight and operational noise, thereby enhancing passenger comfort and extending vehicle range. This material evolution is evident in the financial results of major polymer suppliers; in its 'Annual Report 2024' released in January 2025, Victrex PLC reported a 5% volume increase in its automotive division, a growth trend directly linked to the rising uptake of their lightweight polymer solutions in electric mobility platforms.

Key Players Profiled in the Passenger Car Gear Market

• American Axle & Manufacturing Inc.
• BorgWarner Inc.
• Bharat Gears Ltd.
• The Timken Company
• Dynamatic Technologies Limited
• Franz Morat Holding GmbH & Co. KG
• GKN Automotive Limited
• Gleason Corporation
• IMS Gear SE & Co. KGaA
• ZF Friedrichshafen AG

Report Scope

In this report, the Global Passenger Car Gear Market has been segmented into the following categories:

Passenger Car Gear Market, by Position:

• Skew Shaft Gears
• Intersecting Shaft Gears
• Parallel Shaft Gears

Passenger Car Gear Market, by Material:

• Ferrous Metals
• Non-ferrous Metals
• Others

Passenger Car Gear Market, by Application:

• Steering Systems
• Transmission Systems
• Differential Systems

Passenger Car Gear 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 Passenger Car Gear 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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