Traditional Fuel and New Energy Vehicle Electric Fan Product Introduction
Traditional Fuel and New Energy Vehicle Electric Fans are electric motor-driven cooling fan assemblies used to force air across radiators, condensers, cooling plates, or integrated heat exchangers to remove heat from the engine or the “three-electric” system (electric drive, electric motor, and electronic control system). In traditional fuel vehicles, electric fans are mainly installed before and after the radiator cooling module to dissipate heat from the engine coolant, while also cooling the air conditioning condenser. Many models have evolved from mechanical fans with viscous clutches to fully electric fans to accommodate small-displacement engines, turbocharged engines, and stringent operating conditions such as China VI/China VII emission standards. In pure electric/plug-in hybrid new energy vehicles, fans primarily serve the complex thermal management circuits of the battery pack, electric drive assembly (motor + reducer), OBC/DC-DC converter, power electronics, and heat pump air conditioning. They typically work in conjunction with liquid cooling plates, electric water pumps, valve blocks, and integrated thermal management modules, becoming one of the key actuators of the “thermal management system”.
Traditional Fuel and New Energy Vehicle Electric Fan Market Summary
According to the new market research report “Traditional Fuel and New Energy Vehicle Electric Fan – China Market Share and Ranking, Overall Sales and Demand Forecast 2026-2032”, published by QYResearch, the China Traditional Fuel and New Energy Vehicle Electric Fan market size is projected to reach USD 1.65 billion by 2031, at a CAGR of 4.98% during the forecast period.
Figure00001. China Traditional Fuel and New Energy Vehicle Electric Fan Market Size (US$ Million), 2020-2031
Source: QYResearch, “Traditional Fuel and New Energy Vehicle Electric Fan – China Market Share and Ranking, Overall Sales and Demand Forecast 2026-2032”
Figure00002. China Traditional Fuel and New Energy Vehicle Electric Fan Top 13 Players Ranking and Market Share (Ranking is based on the revenue of 2024, continually updated)
Source: QYResearch, “Traditional Fuel and New Energy Vehicle Electric Fan – China Market Share and Ranking, Overall Sales and Demand Forecast 2026-2032”
According to QYResearch Top Players Research Center, the China key manufacturers of Traditional Fuel and New Energy Vehicle Electric Fan include Shanghai Ri Yong – Jea Gate Electric, Jiangsu Langxin Electric, Bosch, Brose, Jiangsu Chaoli Electric Manufacture, etc. In 2024, the China top five players had a share approximately 58.41% in terms of revenue, the top 10 players had a share approximately 73.85% in terms of revenue.
Main Development Trends
The automotive electric fan market in China is evolving from a basic requirement for cooling fuel engine engines to a dual-drive model of fuel and new energy vehicles, coupled with the integration and intelligent upgrading of thermal management systems. On the one hand, as the world’s largest automobile producer and seller, China maintains a substantial demand for engine cooling in traditional fuel vehicles. Meanwhile, technologies such as small-displacement turbocharging, direct injection, and high-pressure EGR have intensified the requirements for cooling efficiency and response speed, leading to a continuous upgrade of electric fans in fuel vehicles from low-cost brushed fans to high-efficiency adjustable-speed solutions. On the other hand, the penetration rate of new energy vehicles has increased significantly. The centralized/integrated thermal management architecture of new energy vehicles (such as “electric drive + battery + air conditioning integrated thermal management”), heat pump applications, 800V high-voltage platforms, and the application of domain control/vehicle thermal management algorithms require fans to have a wider speed adjustment range, higher energy efficiency, lower noise, and deep communication capabilities with the vehicle controller, presenting a “fuel-side existing capacity upgrade + The overall trend is “high growth in new energy and rising technological barriers”.
Industry Chain Analysis
From a supply chain perspective, the upstream of automotive electric fans mainly includes silicon steel sheets for motor cores, copper enameled wire, ball/needle roller bearings, engineering plastics and aluminum alloy fan blades and frames, die castings, rubber vibration damping components, automotive-grade wiring harnesses and connectors, as well as high-performance rare-earth permanent magnets (NdFeB), MOSFET/IGBT power devices, and MCU/driver chips required for brushless fans. New energy vehicle electric fans, due to the need to meet higher protection levels (IP68/69K), wide temperature ranges, and 800V system indirect coupling requirements, have higher specifications for magnetic materials, insulation systems, and device voltage withstand. The midstream consists of fan assembly manufacturers, responsible for motor structure design, electromagnetic and temperature rise design, blade aerodynamic optimization, NVH control, lifespan and reliability verification, and integrating the fan into traditional engine cooling modules or new energy thermal management modules. Downstream, the market targets OEMs. In traditional gasoline vehicles, this translates to engine cooling modules, air conditioning condenser modules, and commercial vehicle radiator assemblies. In new energy vehicles, it’s more commonly used in power battery cooling circuits, electric drive and electronic control cooling circuits, and heat exchangers for heat pump systems.
Industry Policies
China has not issued separate regulations for “electric fans,” but their development is deeply embedded in the framework of energy conservation and emission reduction, emission regulations, and new energy vehicle policies. Firstly, the dual-credit policy of “Corporate Average Fuel Consumption (CAFC) + New Energy Vehicle Credits” links vehicle energy efficiency with the proportion of new energy vehicles. Subsequent revisions specifically included “non-traction energy consumption technologies” such as regenerative braking and efficient air conditioning/thermal management in the assessment and bonus points, creating policy guidance for high-efficiency cooling fans and thermal management components. Secondly, the already implemented China VI b emission standard and the planned China VII emission standard significantly lower the upper limit of pollutant emissions, causing traditional engines to operate under more stringent conditions, indirectly increasing the requirements for cooling system capabilities and strategies. Thirdly, after the phase-out of subsidies for new energy vehicles, the government has extended the purchase tax exemption for new energy vehicles to 2027 and continued to promote the access and demonstration application of NEVs, guiding the continuous increase in the sales share of pure electric/plug-in hybrid vehicles. The electrification trend has been identified by multiple studies as the core driving force for the growth of the automotive cooling fan market and the new energy vehicle thermal management system market. Furthermore, local policies regarding intelligent connected vehicles, new energy special-purpose vehicles, and the electrification of public transportation/sanitation vehicles have further amplified the demand for electronic fans and thermal management components for medium and heavy-duty vehicles and special-purpose vehicles.
Development Opportunities
In the dual structure of “traditional fuel + new energy vehicles,” the opportunities for electric fans can be summarized in three main directions: First, the high growth rate of thermal management systems for new energy vehicles, with the average annual growth rate of thermal management components far exceeding that of the entire vehicle, provides a high-growth sub-sector for companies focusing on electric fans for new energy vehicles. Second, energy-saving upgrades and replacement of existing fuel vehicles. Engine cooling systems are evolving from mechanical fans to electric fans, from simple on/off control to stepless speed regulation, and from single fans to multi-fan modules. More precise cooling strategies can help vehicles further reduce fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions, aligning closely with dual-credit and carbon neutrality goals. Third, the localization and export opportunities of the Chinese supply chain. If suppliers can develop platform-based products in automotive-grade BLDC motors, power electronics, fan aerodynamic design, and thermal management module matching capabilities, they are expected to accelerate import substitution in joint venture/domestic brands, and also support Chinese automakers’ overseas factories and vehicle exports, effectively “packaging” electric fans and thermal management modules for export.
Challenges and Obstacles
This industry faces multiple challenges and obstacles: First, cost pressures and price wars. The traditional engine cooling fan market is relatively mature, and the slowdown in sales growth of fuel vehicles, coupled with strong price pressure from OEMs, has limited profit margins for brushed fans and low-end brushless fans. Meanwhile, in the thermal management components for new energy vehicles, the number of players has increased and production capacity has expanded rapidly over the past two years. Multiple studies indicate that competition in the thermal management market has intensified significantly, putting downward pressure on component prices. Second, uncertainty in the supply of key raw materials and chips. Tight supply or price fluctuations in high-performance rare-earth permanent magnets, automotive-grade power semiconductors, and control chips will significantly impact the cost and delivery stability of brushless fans; the pandemic, geopolitical tensions, and trade frictions have repeatedly exposed this risk. Third, increased technological complexity and system integration difficulty. Thermal management in new energy vehicles is a multi-loop, multi-condition coupled problem, requiring the overall coordination of fans, electric pumps, valve blocks, heat pumps, cooling plates, and control algorithms. If suppliers lack systems engineering and calibration capabilities, it’s difficult to meet OEMs’ comprehensive requirements for vehicle energy consumption, low-temperature performance, and NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness). Furthermore, the compliance costs and overseas project risks brought about by the global trade environment and localization requirements also constrain Chinese companies seeking global sourcing.
Industry Entry Barriers
From the perspective of entry barriers, the traditional fuel and new energy vehicle electric fan market exhibits the characteristic of “easy entry into the low-end market, but very high barriers to entry in the truly valuable high-end market”: In the low-end brushed fan field for fuel vehicles, the product technology is relatively mature, the structure and control are simple, and the entry barrier is not high, but the market is highly fragmented and prices are transparent, resulting in limited profits; what truly forms a moat is automotive-grade BLDC/EC fans and solutions deeply integrated with thermal management systems. The barriers to entry are reflected in: the need to master the multidisciplinary trade-offs between motor electromagnetic design, rare-earth permanent magnet applications, power electronics and electromagnetic compatibility, blade aerodynamic optimization, and overall NVH; the need to pass quality system certifications such as IATF 16949 and withstand the lengthy and rigorous DV/PV, durability, and environmental tests conducted by OEMs; and the ability to jointly define interfaces with thermal management system Tier 1 suppliers and OEMs in the early stages of platform development and participate in the design of overall vehicle thermal management strategies. Meanwhile, OEMs highly value “historical track record” and “supply stability” for key thermal management components, tending to establish long-term partnerships with a few core suppliers. New entrants often need to start with low-risk small projects and gradually scale up, and this customer path dependence itself constitutes a hidden barrier. Overall, the competition for electric fans in gasoline vehicles is more about scale and cost efficiency, while in new energy vehicles, electric fans have evolved from a single component into part of the thermal management system. High technology and high certification thresholds determine that it is more like a “system-level component” track.
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