Market Intelligence – According to the latest DisplaySearch Automotive Displays Report, with more safety features requiring a greater level of driver monitoring, demand for multifunction TFT-LCD panels in the automotive instrument cluster is accelerating.
In fact, TFT LCD shipments for the instrument cluster in automobiles are expected to grow 48% to reach 30.2 million units this year, growing further to reach 50 million units in 2018.
Figure: Instrument Cluster TFT LCD Shipments and Forecast
Source: DisplaySearch 2014 Automotive Displays Report
“Formerly a concept found only in science fiction, safety functions like emergency stop and active lane control are becoming more commonplace, and automatic electronic control of automobiles is now a reality,” said Hiroshi Hayase, vice president of small/medium displays for DisplaySearch, now part of IHS (NYSE: IHS). “With leading-edge features like fully automatic driving on the horizon, and with growing requirements to actively monitor safety and ecological functions, multifunctional TFT LCD instrument clusters could soon resemble glass cockpits.”
Growing automotive manufacturer demand for automotive TFT LCD panels in the instrument cluster are mainly led by the United States, European Union, Japan, and other developed regions. In 1H’14, Continental AG was the top purchaser of instrument cluster TFT LCD panels, followed by Ford and Nippon Seiki.
