Automotive Engine Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends and Forecast (2026 - 2031)

Global Automotive Engine Market Trends and Insights

Rising Vehicle Production in Emerging Asia-Pacific Economies

In 2025, India significantly increased its passenger vehicle production, achieving notable growth due to capacity expansions in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. Meanwhile, China maintained its position as a leading producer of light vehicles, focusing on hybrids and exports, particularly to Southeast Asia, where infrastructure challenges persist. Both Indonesia and Thailand attracted substantial investments in flexible powertrains, solidifying their roles as key hubs in the ASEAN region for gasoline, hybrid, and CNG variants, all manufactured using shared tooling. Leveraging labor-cost advantages, Indian-manufactured engines are being exported to Africa and Latin America at significantly lower prices compared to their European counterparts, ensuring the continued competitiveness of internal combustion engines (ICE). This production growth is driving the automotive engine market forward, even as urban electrification policies become increasingly stringent ^{[1]“Passenger Vehicles Sales Data,” SIAM, www.siam.in}.

Stricter Global Emission Regulations Driving Internal Combustion Engine Efficiency Upgrades

Euro 7, China VI-b, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Tier 4 Final standards converge to tighten particulate and NOₓ limits, obliging manufacturers to deploy gasoline particulate filters, on-board diagnostics parity, and low-temperature durability calibrations. The incremental hardware raises per-engine cost by roughly USD 300 yet safeguards regulatory compliance for high-volume passenger cars ^{[2]“Joint Venture Partners between China’s National VI-b and California Air Resources,” European Commission, climate.ec.europa.eu}. Selective catalytic reduction and high-pressure direct injection now permeate compact construction machines as well as light vehicles, expanding supplier addressable markets. Continued tightening propels R&D into lean-burn strategies, variable valve timing, and Miller-cycle adaptations that chase every gram of CO₂ abatement. The upshot is a sustained engineering pipeline that keeps the automotive engine market relevant even as electric vehicles gain share.

E-Commerce Logistics Boosting Light Commercial Vehicle Engine Demand

In 2025, Amazon, FedEx, and DHL collectively added a significant number of light commercial vehicles (LCVs) to their fleets. These companies showed a clear preference for mid-sized turbo diesel engines, specifically those delivering moderate horsepower and compliant with particulate filter regulations. While battery-electric LCVs are gaining traction, they grapple with challenges like payload reductions and diminished range in colder months. As a result, operators are gravitating towards engines from Ford and Mercedes-Benz that align with urban zone standards. Stellantis' diesel engine boasts impressive thermal efficiency and extended service intervals, effectively reducing the total cost per delivery stop. Given that logistics fleets prioritize uptime and quick refueling, they're maintaining orders for internal combustion engines (ICE) through the foreseeable future. This trend solidifies the segment's pivotal role in the automotive engine market.

Emergence of Synthetic E-Fuels Extending the Internal Combustion Engine Lifecycle

In the mid-2020s, Porsche's Haru Oni pilot produced a significant volume of e-fuel, blending it into German retail gasoline at a small percentage, demonstrating its compatibility with legacy engines. Recent EU amendments permit e-fuel-exclusive internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to be classified as zero-emission. This classification hinges on maintaining lifecycle CO₂ emissions at a minimal level, a target achievable through renewable electricity and carbon capture. Bosch and Mahle are reengineering combustion chambers for high-octane fuels, aiming for a notable efficiency boost via higher compression and ultra-lean strategies. While production costs in the mid-2020s are relatively high, scaling up production to a much larger volume could significantly reduce prices by the end of the decade. This price point becomes particularly competitive in markets with substantial carbon taxes. Such a trajectory not only provides original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) with a safeguard against stranded ICE investments but also extends the longevity of the automotive engine market.

Rapid Battery Electric Vehicle Adoption Diverting R&D Budgets

In recent years, global sales of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) have experienced significant growth, capturing a notable share of the light-vehicle market. This shift has prompted automakers to pivot their engineering focus towards battery packs and software architectures. Volkswagen, in a bold move, allocated a substantial budget for electrification initiatives over the next decade. This decision came with a significant reduction in its internal combustion engine (ICE) budget and a consolidation of its combustion families. Meanwhile, General Motors announced it would halt the development of new ICE platforms in the near future, confining its future expenditures to compliance adjustments and mild-hybrid enhancements. In a clear sign of the industry's evolving landscape, Tier-1 suppliers like Bosch made headlines by reducing their power-train workforce. This move underscores a growing consensus: the once-thriving combustion sector is now merely a sustaining technology. As capital investments dwindle, innovation in areas like homogeneous-charge compression ignition and plasma-assisted ignition has slowed, steering the automotive engine industry towards incremental improvements rather than groundbreaking breakthroughs.

Zero-Emission Urban Zones Curbing Internal Combustion Engine Sales

In 2024, London expanded its Ultra Low Emission Zone to encompass all boroughs, imposing a daily charge on older internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. This move is hastening the shift towards hybrid and battery electric vehicles (BEVs). In the mid-2020s, Paris prohibited diesel cars from operating within the Périphérique, and restrictions on gasoline vehicles are expected to follow soon after. These actions are significantly reducing the addressable volume for ICEs. Around the same time, Beijing declared its outer ring road as a zero-emission zone for commercial vehicles, leading to the removal of a substantial number of diesel light commercial vehicles (LCVs) within a short period. As a result, manufacturers are now managing dual product lines: zero-emission vehicles for urban areas and ICEs to cater to rural markets. This strategy is diluting the economies of scale previously enjoyed in engine production. With heightened compliance risks and the looming threat of fines, manufacturers are channeling more capital into electric capacities, consequently dampening growth prospects for the automotive engine market.

Segment Analysis

By Placement Type: Opposed-Piston Advances Amid Efficiency Race

In-line engines controlled 43.36% of the automotive engine market in 2025 by leveraging modular scalability and hybrid compatibility across Toyota’s Dynamic Force and Volkswagen’s EA888 families. Opposed-piston units, although niche, are projected to grow at 2.39% CAGR through 2030 as freight operators validate Achates Power’s two-stroke design, which posts one-third of fuel-economy gains versus conventional diesels and meets EPA 2027 NOₓ rules without selective catalytic reduction.

Ford’s 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 and GM’s 6.2-liter V8 maintain V-type relevance for towing-oriented pickups, while Subaru’s boxer architecture persists in all-wheel-drive crossovers where a low center of gravity offsets added manufacturing complexity. Regulatory focus on output rather than architecture has encouraged automakers to downsize cylinders yet retain familiar layouts, but the tangible efficiency from opposed-piston trials could swing procurement in long-haul trucking over the forecast window.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By Fuel Type: Hybrid-ICE Configurations Outpace Conventional Combustion

Gasoline held 63.31% of the automotive engine market in 2025, but hybrid-ICE powertrains spanning mild, full, and plug-in systems will expand at a 2.47% CAGR to 2031, the fastest among fuel categories. Toyota’s 2.5-liter Dynamic Force Hybrid achieves thermal efficiency, while Stellantis integrates 48-volt systems on 1.5-liter turbo fours across Jeep and Peugeot models.

Diesel’s retreat in European passenger cars contrasts with its endurance in heavy-duty trucks, where fuel density and refueling speed remain decisive. Natural-gas fleets are growing in urban buses as biomethane delivers sustainable lifecycle CO₂ reductions, and Brazil’s flex-fuel engines preserve the low-cost ethanol advantages. Hydrogen-ICE pilots showcased 300 horsepower outputs in 2025 endurance racing, illustrating a zero-carbon pathway that leverages existing casting and machining assets.

By Vehicle Type: Commercial Segments Lead Growth Arc

Passenger cars accounted for 66.37% of the automotive engine market size in 2025, yet will trail medium and heavy commercial vehicles, which are forecast to grow at a 2.49% CAGR to 2031. Long-haul trucking remains tethered to diesel and emerging hydrogen combustion because current battery chemistries penalize payload and mandate extended charging downtimes.

Light commercial vehicles, powered by efficient 2.0-liter turbos, sustain double-digit fleet additions from e-commerce logistics, while two-wheelers continue to serve rural Asia despite electrification advances in urban corridors. Off-road machinery satisfies Tier 4 Final norms through high-efficiency catalysis, and Caterpillar’s 7.1-liter inline-six launched in 2025 without exhaust-gas recirculation, trimming maintenance cycles for rental fleets.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By Engine Capacity: Downsizing Accelerates to Meet CO₂ Targets

The 1.5-to-3-liter segment captured 54.45% of 2025 volume, yet sub-1.5-liter turbocharged units are poised to expand at a 2.41% CAGR as European and Chinese OEMs chase fleet-average CO₂ ceilings under 95 g/km. Volkswagen’s 1.0-liter TSI three-cylinder became Europe’s best-selling engine in 2025, posting a CO₂ improvement over its 1.6-liter predecessor.

Stellantis’ 1.2-liter PureTech added a 48-volt belt-starter-generator in 2025, enabling cylinder deactivation that trims urban fuel burn by a minimal amount. Engines above 3.0 liters increasingly occupy niche towing and performance roles, with Ford’s 3.5-liter EcoBoost still shipping 450,000 units in 2025 by blending port-direct injection and turbocharging for 400 horsepower in the F-150.

Geography Analysis

Asia Pacific held 38.71% of 2025 global volume and is projected to expand at a 2.45% CAGR through 2031, driven by India’s output surge and ASEAN’s rise as a flexible power-train hub. China remains the world’s largest light-vehicle producer at 26.8 million units, retaining ICE lines for hybrids and exports even as Beijing targets electric vehicle penetration by 2030. Japan’s domestic engine builds dipped in 2025 as OEMs shifted capacity to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) zones.

In recent years, United States light-vehicle sales have shown strong performance, with internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and hybrids dominating the market due to the high demand for full-size trucks that emphasize towing and refueling convenience. Ford’s Kentucky Truck Plant and GM’s Flint Assembly continue to operate at full capacity, producing V6 and V8 engines that comply with EPA Tier 3 standards. In Europe, passenger-car production has experienced a slight decline, influenced by the increasing implementation of urban zero-emission zones. However, Germany’s Salzgitter site has made significant investments to transition towards producing mild-hybrid modules alongside traditional engine units, ensuring job security for thousands of workers.

In South America, the Middle East, and Africa, demand for vehicles remains robust, but the adoption of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) faces challenges due to cost and infrastructure limitations. Brazil has leveraged its competitive advantage in sugarcane ethanol, which is more cost-effective than gasoline, to maintain strong production of flex-fuel vehicles. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have initiated hydrogen-ICE pilot projects for urban logistics, utilizing their domestic hydrogen production and addressing the thermal challenges associated with lithium-ion batteries in extreme climates. South Africa continues to focus on producing right-hand-drive ICE vehicles for export to sub-Saharan markets, where charging infrastructure is still in its early stages of development.