Latest News on the Automotive Compressor Industry

I. Technological Breakthroughs and Product Upgrades

1. Mass production of oil-free centrifugal compressors

   Garrett and Kelin have launched a mass production project for oil-free foil bearing centrifugal compressors, scheduled for launch in 2027. Featuring no lubricating oil, higher efficiency and a more compact design, this technology is suitable for thermal management of new energy commercial vehicles and buses, and has been verified on electric buses.
2. Patent for electric compressor protection technology published

   Lingdong Thermal Management has published a patent for sensorless exhaust temperature estimation (CN121469251A), which enables precise temperature control, graded speed reduction and shutdown, improving compressor reliability and reducing costs.
3. Accelerated application of CO₂ (R744) natural refrigerant

   Flagship models such as NIO ET9 and Yangwang U8 are trial-equipped with CO₂ heat pump systems, which require the compressor to withstand pressure up to 12MPa, driving comprehensive upgrades in materials, sealing and structure.
4. New heavy-duty truck dedicated compressors launched

   Kolku launched its 2026 EH26X rooftop integrated unit for heavy trucks, equipped with a scroll compressor, 2100W cooling capacity and 24V system, focusing on low noise, high efficiency and intelligent speed control.

II. Industrial Chain and Corporate Updates

1. Leading thermal management companies achieve sound performance

   Yinlun Co., Ltd., a core supplier of thermal management and compressors, recorded revenue of 5.986 billion yuan (up 12.43%) from January to September 2025. Its customers include BYD, Tesla, NIO and others, and its new energy thermal management business has grown significantly.
2. Accelerated independent R&D and production by automakers

• BYD (Fudi Technology): 800V high-voltage electric scroll / heat pump compressors, standard on all new energy models and supplied to external customers.
• Great Wall Motors (Honeycomb Thermal System): Electric compressors and heat pump systems for all WEY, Tank and Ora models.
• SAIC (Huayu Sanden): Full-voltage platform electric and traditional compressors for SAIC, Geely, Xiaomi and other brands.

3. Price adjustments triggered by rising raw materials
   Shandong Jinlilai and other component manufacturers raised prices of automotive air conditioning compressors and related products starting March 11, due to continuous increases in copper, aluminum and steel.

III. Market and Industry Trends

1. Market size and structure
   Shipments in 2026 are expected to reach 59.8 million units, with a market size of 43.5 billion yuan (up 5.6%).

• Electric compressors dominate the new energy sector (penetration rate exceeding 48%), evolving towards 8kW+ high power, heat pump integration and two-way operation.
• The penetration rate of heat pump systems reached 41% in 2025, significantly improving winter cruising range and becoming a mainstream trend in the industry.