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Last Updated: Apr 25, 2025 | Study Period: 2024-2030
The flywheel in an automobile is used to transfer the stored energy generated from the engine to the driving shaft of the vehicle. They also serve as mounting surface for clutch assembly. Increase in penetration of Automated Manual Transmission (AMT), Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) and Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT) are the main factors driving the flywheel market.
Different components undergoing changes to reduce the weight of an automobile has propelled the development of lightweight flywheels; this has increased the flywheel market. However, increase in electric vehicles has restrained the growth of the flywheel market.
| S No | Company Name | Development |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Volvo | Volvo's Flywheel Technology is Revolutionizing the Road. With a lower fuel consumption reduction, Volvo has created a new style of flywheel that makes a 4-cylinder engine seem like a 6-cylinder. The Swedish Energy Agency awarded Volvo a funding to create this advanced, cost-effective system for the kinetic recovery of braking energy. |
TheVolvoKERS system, which is mounted on the vehicle's rear axle, uses kinetic energy collected during braking to spin the flywheel at 60,000 revolutions per minute (rpm). As the car begins to move once more, it uses a unique transmission to send the energy to the back wheels.
Internal combustion power to the front wheels is cut off when the driver applies the brakes, and extra kinetic energy is stored in the flywheel for use when the driver starts accelerating again or at cruising speeds.
Braking optimizes Volvo flywheel technology's efficiency while driving in stop-and-go traffic and turns it on. Therefore, metropolitan traffic and congested city driving are when fuel savings are at their highest.
Additionally, an additional 80 horsepower can be obtained by combining the complete engine power with the flywheel for energy storage, leading to faster acceleration and performance.
To assess engine performance and efficiency, Volvo flywheel technology was still employing steel flywheels. Steel is a bulky, heavy material that has a limited capacity for rotation, making it challenging to employ.
The most recent Volvo innovations use carbon fiber technology to create a lighter, smaller flywheel. It operates in a vacuum to increase efficiency even more by minimizing friction.
Modern methods overcome earlier issues with efficiency and weight by using vacuum-sealed carbon-fiber discs that move on low-friction bearings or superconducting magnets.
The gadgets should be able to spin at 60,000 rpm if they are successful. As a result, 80 horsepower will be generated while using less gasoline. On new test electric cars, automakers are starting to substitute flywheel technology for batteries.
This technology has been utilized by Formula 1 racing vehicles like Ferrari, Renault, BMW, and McLaren for thousands of laps.
Instead of using the technology to conserve energy or lessen pollution, it was used to increase acceleration. Volvo will be road-testing a car with the technology this fall, so the same ideas might apply to the family sedan as well.
Flywheel Technology andTeslacurrently work together closely. Despite being well-known for producing only electric vehicles, Tesla is much more than that. An established sector has been impacted by a new corporate strategy and consumer mindset.
On the other hand, Tesla continued on. In order to decentralize power distribution, it expanded into other industries, bought holdings in crucial infrastructure sectors, and is now offering a new utility option.
| SI No | Timeline | Company/Country | Developments |
| 1 | Q4-2021 | Global | The automobile sales are increasing after the Covid-19 pandemic due to the demand for commercial vehicles and passenger cars are increasing in passenger cars and commercial vehicles, this surge in sales will increase the automotive components production. |
The global automotive slowdown is a cause of major concern for flywheel manufacturers. China automotive market has contracted 16% i.e. from 25 Million units in 2016 to 21 Million units in 2019. Europe auto sales gained 1% YOY in 2019 but 2020 could see a decline of more than 15% due to the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic.
The Single Mass Flywheel which comes in direct contact with the engine and clutch assembly is a single piece structure. They have high heat capacity allows engine to rev quicker. These are suitable for track cars. SMF are slowly phasing out as DMF is dominating the market.
The dual mass flywheel is adopted in the modern vehicles considering its superiority over the single mass flywheel. Dual mass flywheel (DMF) is has come out as fuel efficient and has also reduced the vibrations in the engine. The dual mass flywheel has undergone various developments and this will encourage the manufacturers for a scope in flywheel market.
Dual mass flywheel with centrifugal pendulum absorber is gaining popularity and has been used an attachment to the DMF. This helps in reduction of torsional vibrations caused by the engine and reduces the damping noise usually heard at low engine speeds.
However, high cost and its comfortable wear out of DMF would curtail its demand in the market.
US automotive flywheel market is third biggest after China and Europe as 74% passenger cars sold in the country are equipped with Torque converter automatic transmission.The Torque converter transmission equipped vehicles don`t have a flywheel as the fluid coupling of torque converter does the job of energy storage during power stroke of combustion cycle.
Due to rise in demand for noise and vibration controlled vehicles; there is a need for advanced flywheel development and thus propelling the flywheel market.
Europe with large number of flywheel manufacturers is expected to remain a hub in the flywheel market. Stringent emission norms from European Union to tackle global warming is indirectly going to affect the flywheel market as there will be continuous development the design of the lighter flywheel. European cars come with stock Dual Mass Flywheel as Single mass flywheel continues to lose the market.
The fastest growing market of the automobile is Asia region. This is mainly due to increased number of two and three wheeled vehicles in addition to the increasing passenger cars. Asia is expected to hold the largest revenue share for automotive flywheel market in the coming years.
With the decrease in weight, there is an increase in fuel efficiency; this can bring down the CO2 emission rate down. To achieve this, manufacturers are constantly developing new flywheel designs and are working towards it. There have been hefty investments in flywheel R&D so as to increase the energy storage capacity and apt material selection of the flywheel.
The global automotive flywheel market was estimated at XX units in 2024, growing at XX% CAGR till 2030.
| SI No | Timeline | Company | Developments |
| 1 | Q4-2021 | Isuzu | Isuzu launchedits D-Max pickup with updated features of in Australia, the D-Max comes with 3 litre diesel engine and six speed manual gearbox and also dual mass flywheel. |
Materials with excellent strength and durability are frequently used to make automotive flywheels. Cast iron, steel, and occasionally lightweight materials like aluminum or carbon fiber are examples of common materials. The material to use is determined by a number of variables, including price, weight, rotational inertia, and desired performance qualities.
Flywheels are often made utilizing casting or machining techniques for production. In casting, molten metal is poured into a mold to form the required shape, whereas in machining, material is removed from a solid block to form the desired design. Precision and consistency can be achieved by using advanced production processes, such as computer numerical control (CNC) machining.
Some automobiles employ dual-mass flywheels (DMF), which are made up of two flywheel portions joined by a spring and dampening system. The design of DMFs enables smoother power transfer between the engine and transmission and helps isolate engine vibrations.
Ring Gear Integration: A ring gear is frequently incorporated into the construction of flywheels. During engine startup, this ring gear engages with the pinion gear of the starter motor to crank the engine. The ring gear integration calls for exact machining and installation.
Flywheels must be balanced in order to provide smooth operation and reduce vibrations. To correct any imbalances and achieve rotational equilibrium, the flywheel must be balanced by adding or withdrawing weight at particular spots on the flywheel.
Friction Materials: The clutch assembly is mounted to the flywheel in automobiles with manual transmissions. To provide smooth clutch engagement and disengagement, friction materials, such as a clutch disc, are sandwiched between the flywheel and the pressure plate.
Flywheels that are lightweight: Flywheels that are lightweight can be utilized in high-performance applications to lessen rotational inertia. These materials include aluminum or carbon fiber. Flywheels that are less in weight enable an engine to rev more rapidly, improving throttle response and overall performance.
Some cutting-edge automobile systems are investigating the use of flywheels as energy storage mechanisms. When braking or decelerating, these flywheel energy storage technologies absorb and store extra energy, then release it when more power is needed. They are frequently applied in regenerative or hybrid braking systems.
| SI No | Timeline | Company | Developments |
| 1 | Q4-2021 | Aisin Corporation | The total sales for the fiscal year 2021 is reached upto 3.53 trillion Japanese yen, with ~10% decrease compared to previous year sales. |
| 2 | Q4-2021 | EXEDY Corporation | Motor vehicle parts manufacturing industry EXEDY Corporation sales in 2021 reached up to $2.16 billion with overall profit of $383 million. |
| 3 | Q3-2021 | ZF Friedrichshafen | Global technology company supplying systems for passenger cars, commercial vehicles ZF Friedrichshafen sales revenue grew to 43% of $23 billion in the first half of 2021 when compared with the first half of previous year. |
Some of the key players in the global flywheel market are Schaeffler Technologies (Germany), Skyway Precision (US), Linamar Corp (Canada), ZF Friedrichshafen (Germany), Zhejiang Tieliu Clutch Co., Ltd (China) and Luthra Industrial Corp (India).
| Sl no | Topic |
| 1 | Market Segmentation |
| 2 | Scope of the report |
| 3 | Abbreviations |
| 4 | Research Methodology |
| 5 | Executive Summary |
| 6 | Introduction |
| 7 | Insights from Industry stakeholders |
| 8 | Cost breakdown of Product by sub-components and average profit margin |
| 9 | Disruptive innovation in the Industry |
| 10 | Technology trends in the Industry |
| 11 | Consumer trends in the industry |
| 12 | Recent Production Milestones |
| 13 | Component Manufacturing in US, EU and China |
| 14 | COVID-19 impact on overall market |
| 15 | COVID-19 impact on Production of components |
| 16 | COVID-19 impact on Point of sale |
| 17 | Market Segmentation, Dynamics and Forecast by Geography, 2023-2030 |
| 18 | Market Segmentation, Dynamics and Forecast by Product Type, 2023-2030 |
| 19 | Market Segmentation, Dynamics and Forecast by Application, 2023-2030 |
| 20 | Market Segmentation, Dynamics and Forecast by End use, 2023-2030 |
| 21 | Product installation rate by OEM, 2023 |
| 22 | Incline/Decline in Average B-2-B selling price in past 5 years |
| 23 | Competition from substitute products |
| 24 | Gross margin and average profitability of suppliers |
| 25 | New product development in past 12 months |
| 26 | M&A in past 12 months |
| 27 | Growth strategy of leading players |
| 28 | Market share of vendors, 2023 |
| 29 | Company Profiles |
| 30 | Unmet needs and opportunity for new suppliers |
| 31 | Conclusion |
| 32 | Appendix |
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