The global market for automotive sensor technologies is an estimated $13.2 billion in 2010, but is expected to increase to $19.1 billion in 2015, for a 5-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.7%. The largest segment of the market, power train systems, is estimated to be worth nearly $6.1 billion in 2010 and is expected to increase at a CAGR of 7.3% to reach $8.6 billion in 2015. The second-largest segment, safety management systems, is expected to reach nearly $6.4 billion in 2015, after increasing at a CAGR of 7.3% from an estimated $4.5 billion in 2010.Revenue in the driver support systems segment is expected to be $1.7 billion in 2010 and rise to more than $2.4 billion in 2015, for a 5-year CAGR of 7.1%.

The smallest segment, alternate fuel vehicles, is estimated at $950 million in 2010, and is projected to increase at a healthy CAGR of 12.7% to reach $1.7 billion in 2015. Automotive vehicle sensor development and usage will be a dominant technology thrust over the next 5 to 7 years. Cars are smart now, but will become much smarter with the expansion of sensor technology in conjunction with microprocessor control. The automotive market is a significant portion of the total sensor market.

A range of technologies has been used over the past 20 years, including silicon micro-engineering, thick film, capacitive, variable reluctance, optical, and radar. As the electronic content in vehicles increases, demand for automotive sensor applications will continue to grow unabated.