CTA is Bullish on These 12 Volt Segments

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) is bullish on the growth prospects for dash cams,  head units and driver safety devices like blind spot detectors.

Driver safety is not yet tracked by the CTA, but it believes the category to be a strong growth opportunity for the aftermarket and so it will attempt to start tracking the category this year, it said.

In its 2017 forecast the CTA said…”But as the struggle to win new customers and grow the market for autosound solutions continues, a new champion has appeared lifting hopes for sales success.  Passive safety systems, including blind spot detection and forward collision warning, present a fresh opportunity for the 12 volt market to tap into consumer markets beyond the..car audio enthusiasts.”

“Parents of teen drivers, ‘taxi moms’ and road warrior business people and more are ostensible customers for safety solutions, who who once in the store can learn about audio upgrades. It’s an emerging opportunity CTA will seek to quantify in future forecasts,” it continued.

In other areas, the CTA is expecting 22 percent growth this year in dollar sales  of DVRs to $56 million.  This follows 22 percent growth for the category last year to $46 million.  And the category will continue to see double digit growth through 2020, hitting $96 million on unit sales of 648 million.

Rear view cameras will see growth of 5 percent this year and then slight growth in the following years reaching sales of $36 million in 2017 and then $41 million in 2020. (See chart below).

But the CTA does not yet track front and side cameras for the car, which industry members consider a significant growth area.

Mechless radios saw a sharp 46 percent rise in dollar sales to dealers in 2016, totalling $53 million.  Sales are expected to grow by 23 percent this year, dropping to 6-, 5- and 2-percent growth in 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively.

But overall, car radios are on the decline as shown in the chart below, according to the CTA.

Of course, sales of OEM infotainment, sensors, software and driver safety combined is on the upswing (see below).

OEM Infotainment, Sensors, Software, Driver Safety Sales (Wholesale)