Analysis of the Current Development Status of China's Automotive Filter Industry in 2025

I. Automotive filters

The main function of a car filter is to filter out impurities and harmful substances in gases and liquids, ensuring the normal operation of the vehicle and the cleanliness and safety of the air in the driver's cabin. There are four types of automotive filters for traditional fuel vehicles, including air conditioning filters related to the air conditioning system, as well as air filters, oil filters and fuel filters related to the fuel engine.
The automotive air conditioning filter is a type of filter specifically designed for purifying the air inside the car cabin. It adopts an activated carbon composite filter cloth composed of high-efficiency adsorption material - activated carbon and long-fiber non-woven fabric. Compact in structure, it can effectively filter out cigarette smoke, pollen, dust, harmful gases and various odors.

II. Relevant Policies of China's Filter Industry

The state and industry associations are constantly formulating new policies regarding in-vehicle air quality and vehicle emissions. Standards are continuously rising, and the importance of automotive filters is increasing day by day. In recent years, technological progress in the automotive filter industry has continued to develop in both depth and breadth. Products have made significant advancements in lightweighting, energy conservation and environmental protection, multi-functionality, systematization, and modularization. The impact of filtration systems on automotive performance and their role in energy conservation and emission reduction have become increasingly important.

III. The industrial chain of Automotive Filters

The upstream industries of filters mainly include raw material industries such as steel, filter paper, plastic parts, rubber or metal parts, aluminum ingots, and chemical materials. The downstream industries mainly consist of the engine manufacturing industry, the vehicle manufacturing industry, and the automotive aftermarket. The performance and quality of upstream raw materials have a significant impact on the quality of filter products. The supply and demand relationship and price of raw materials directly affect the production cost of filters. The development of the filter materials industry (mainly filter paper) plays a crucial role in enhancing the filtration effect of filters.
The main source of consumption in the automotive aftermarket is the existing car stock, and the number of cars in possession is one of the main factors influencing the aftermarket. When the number of cars in possession is in a continuous growth state, the after-sales maintenance market of automobiles can maintain a steady growth. According to the statistics of the Ministry of Public Security, the number of automobiles in China has increased from 106 million in 2011 to 319 million in 2022, with a compound annual growth rate of 10.55%. Meanwhile, as the growth rate of new car production and sales gradually declined since 2017, the growth rate of car ownership began to slow down, but the scale of the car stock market continued to grow.

IV. Analysis of the Current Development Status of China's Automotive Filter Industry

• Demand quantity

According to the relevant data and empirical formula of the Filter Branch of the China Internal Combustion Engine Association (filter: car ownership = 5:1), that is, each car replaces 2 oil filters, 1 air filter, 1 gasoline filter and 1 air conditioning filter every year, it is calculated that the demand for automotive filters in China has increased from 530 million sets in 2011 to 1.60 billion sets in 2022.

• Market size

From the perspective of the market size of automotive filters in China, according to the calculation standard of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, based on the total consumption amount of 120 yuan for five filters, it is estimated that the market size of the automotive filter industry in China increased from 12.72 billion yuan in 2011 to 38.28 billion yuan in 2022, with a CAGR of 10.5%.