Automotive Transparent Antenna Market

Global Automotive Transparent Antenna Market was worth of USD 224.8 Million in 2025 and it is expected to reach USD 1093.2 Million at the end of 2030 with a CAGR of 37.2%.

Scope of Automotive Transparent Antenna Market

Transparent antennas are useful for integrating antenna functionality in surfaces while maintaining visibility, such as vehicle windshields and windows. They are designed by Nanoweb material, a highly transparent metal mesh, which is an improved alternative to Indium tin oxide (ITO). The key benefit of Nanoweb transparent antennas is that high conductivity is maintained without sacrificing the electromagnetic behavior of the antennas. Structurally, antennas should be as compact as possible for their easy integration in vehicles. Earlier, the antennas were too huge and costly to be accommodated in vehicles. Nonetheless, with technological advancement, the dimensions of antennas became smaller and more cost-effective. Once mounted, these antennas provide improved efficiency and better bandwidth, in order to estimate the distance of vehicle with the approaching objects. Optically transparent indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films are the major raw material for transparent antennas. These transparent antennas exhibit reasonable omni-directionality and bi-directionality, and since they possess a high optical transparency, it allows them to easily integrate in the surface of windows or display panels, with minimal chance of detection or exposure and also helps in saving space.

Automotive Transparent Antenna market report is segmented based on material type, frequency, component, end-user and by regional & country level. Based upon material type, automotive transparent antenna market is classified into transparent conductive oxides, nanowire, conductive polymer, and Nano carbon. Based upon frequency, automotive transparent antenna market is classified into high-frequency, very-high frequency and ultra-high frequency. Based upon component, automotive transparent antenna market is classified into transceivers, ecu and other components. Based upon end user, automotive transparent antenna market is classified into commercial vehicles and passenger vehicles.

Executive Summary

Nowadays several modern vehicles are introduced with stylish body and with some of their metallic cabinets such as side view mirrors are being replaced with rigid and durable materials like plastic/fiber/polymer composites etc. Antennas which are designed on transparent substrates will make minimal presence on the vehicle rather than it appears as some beautiful design on the vehicle. Antennas are a key part of the radios and communication systems used in daily life and are an increasingly important component of automobiles due to the increasing connectivity and sensing now being demanded in the automotive industry. This includes navigation with GPS signals, communication and data via cellular networks, entertainment and information via satellite radio, and short-range radar systems for collision avoidance. Thus, new innovative antennas made with transparent conductive materials have been employed in wide spectrum of applications in the automotive sector. These are preferred for vehicles due to their transmitting property which provide good visibility without worsening design and capable of realizing low resistance. These kinds of antennas have an insulating sheet-like transparent base body and antenna pattern is formed on the surface of the transparent body. Optically transparent indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films play a vital role in its raw materials. Many products are in the pipeline for the launch in the market as it exhibits reasonable omni-directionality and bi-directionality. It has an advantage of spatial extensibility more so than all other antennas in terms of wide range of usable area.

Currently, numerous advancements in automobile technology & ever-growing need for communication have made radio communication systems a necessary part of day-to-day life. Thus, several communication systems integrate with vehicles due to the growing demand for connectivity in vehicular environments. Consequently, it is also encouraging several companies to invest in research & development for this new transparent antenna technology. A significant number of  companies are investing in the market and seeking to launch their new innovative products to enter in the market. For example; on June 28th, 2022; Nippon Electric Glass Co., Ltd. announced that the company has developed a transparent antenna. It is made of a glass substrate, and a repeater, which uses radio wave lenses and does not require power supply, for 5G millimeter-wave wireless communication technology. These products will be exhibited at the fifth 5G Technology Expo to be held at Tokyo Big Sight from June 29th to July 1st, 2022. This will support the growth of the market within the forecast period. And also, Meta Materials Inc. developed transparent 5G antennas which are useful for integrating antenna functionality in surfaces while maintaining visibility, such as vehicle windshields and windows. They are designed by META and manufactured using its own proprietary NANOWEB material, a highly transparent metal mesh, which is an improved alternative to Indium tin oxide (ITO). The key benefit of NanoWeb transparent antennas is that high conductivity is maintained without sacrificing the electromagnetic behavior of the antennas. The major application areas include; radar absorbing and scattering, 5G antennas (vehicles), beam steering (including radar detection) and Bluetooth antenna (wearables).

There are many research & development activities undergoing in this field. Another example: In2tec company has been working in automotive market & it has developed an array of printed antenna solutions includes conformable and transparent antennas. This aims to meet the requirements of the fast-developing automotive market, providing effective transmission and reception of wireless communication. This is driving the market growth.

Moreover, with the upcoming era of autonomous vehicle owing to its safe and reliable nature, they may be commercially available in many areas by 2030. For instance, according to Policy Advice report statistics; roughly 33 million AVs will hit the road by 2040. This only implies that people are expected to get used to driverless cars which will also supplement the demand for number of radar sensors & communication devices on vehicles and hence will also foster the demand for transparent antenna. Thus, it suggests that transparent antennas will become the trend to realize large array antennas seamlessly integrated with the aerodynamic and aesthetic requirements for vehicles. 

Automotive Transparent Antenna Segmentation

By Material Type

• Transparent Conductive Oxides
• Nanowire
• Conductive Polymer
• Nano Carbon

By Frequency Type

• High frequency
• Very-high frequency
• Ultra-high frequency

By Component

• Transceivers
• ECU
• Other components

By End User

• Passenger Vehicles
• Commercial Vehicles

Key Players Automotive Transparent Antenna Market

Automotive Transparent Antenna market report covers prominent players like

• Hyundai Motor Group
• In2tec
• Nippon Electric Glass Co
• Venti Group
• Fractal Antenna Systems
• RFS
• AGC Inc.
• DENGYO
• Dongwoo Fine-Chem
• Kodak
• Gapwaves AB
• 3M Company
• Dai Nippon Printing Co
• Panasonic Corporation
• ChasmTek
• Other

 

Automotive Transparent Antenna Market Dynamics

Increasing adoption of nanotechnology for rapid development is expected to further support growth of the market. Materials such as Nano carbon, metallic nanowires, etc. used in Nano-patterned transparent antennas is expected to improve efficiency and provide better performance of these antennas, thus increasing demand for automotive transparent antennas. Increasing demand for passenger vehicles, coupled with robust production by major countries including China, India, Unites States, etc. crossing the 95 million in 2018 is another important factor driving the growth of global automotive transparent antenna market. Moreover, increasing demand for safety features in vehicles such as automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance, blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, cross-traffic alert, etc. and the fact that antennas enhance the performance of automotive radar system is expected to drive growth of the market over the forecast period. However, the lag in government regulatory policy is projected to be restraints majorly impacting the growth of the automotive transparent antenna market. 

Trends

A transparent antenna for a vehicle consists of a sheet-like transparent substrate with electrical insulation and a planarly formed antenna pattern on the surface of the transparent substrate, in which the electrically conductive section of the said antenna pattern is formed from an electrically conductive thin film. The structure of the mesh and the outline of each mesh is made up of extra thin bands with approximately the same width the width of each extra-fine band is 30 mm or less and the light transmission of the antenna pattern formation section is 70% or more. Demand for this type of transparent antenna is expected to increase significantly in the coming years. The transparent antenna types given below will generate huge growth in the market in the coming period.

A) Flexible Optically Transparent Antennas (OTA)

This kind of antenna resonates at 2.45 GHz, making it suitable for WLAN and Bluetooth applications. The proposed antenna is based on the captain polyamide substrate, which is known for its flexibility, robustness, and thermal endurance. Printed monopole antennas are preferred over other antenna topologies due to their wide impedance bandwidth, fabrication simplicity, and all-directional radiation pattern, which is highly desirable in WLAN and Bluetooth technologies. In order to adhere to wearable and flexible technology, the integrated structure must be extremely flexible and mechanically strong; they also have to withstand high levels of bending and thermal endurance. Polyamide Kapton was chosen as the substrate of the antenna because it exhibits an excellent balance of physical, chemical, and electrical properties and with a low loss tangent over a wide frequency range. Furthermore, Kapton is available with low thickness but has a good tensile strength (165 MPa at 73 F), a dielectric strength of 3500–7000 volts / mL, and a thermal rating of 65 to 150C.

However, the need to install antennas at constant volume is becoming a challenge for antenna designers nowadays. However, efforts are made to design optically transparent antennas to overcome such limitations. Research is underway to increase the efficiency of antennas. OTAs are being reported for use in applications such as ultra-wideband applications, wireless access points, energy harvesting, and automobile applications. OTAs are being integrated into the solar panels of satellites, which solves the space problem and helps to minimize satellites. Internal limitations of transparent conductor oxides such as low electrical conductivity, high surface resistance, and grounding damage transparent conductor oxides can be converted into potential commercial products for the efficient composition of OTA. And, other new upcoming ideas to improve feeding techniques and increase efficiency will certainly have a positive impact on the development of OTA.

B) Optically Transparent UWB Antenna for Automotive MIMO Communications

The MIMO antenna consists of a two-semicircular slot-loaded monopole with a stair ground structure. It is developed on a glass substrate with dimensions of 29 × 50 mm2. Fluorine-doped tin oxide and indium-doped tin oxide (ITO) are used as conductive layers at the bottom and top of the substrate with sheet resistances of 4 Ω / sq and 10 Ω / sq, respectively. Fabricated antennas have more than 72% optical transmittance; Therefore, it can be placed on the glass surface of the automotive. The measured results show that the proposed antenna shows a good impedance at a frequency of 2.4-11 GHz with isolation greater than 20 dB and increases the maximum gain of 2 dBi, which is suitable for ultraviolet band (UWB) automotive applications.

C) 3D Formable Transparent Antenna

Customized 3D Formable and Transparent Antenna Solutions are also developed by a manufacturer. Providing lightweight and fully flexible electronics makes it possible to streamline design, reduce the size and eliminate extra materials and waste. Flexible printed electronics provide extremely reliable solutions and reduce the points of potential failure, also achieving a long life of the product. Ultimately, customers can improve their durability and achieve serious weight savings without any effort. The production and material focus provides a game-changing level of recycling with the sole aim of improving the circular economy in the automotive sector. Players today are striving for 100% recycling. The inclusion of electronic systems in vehicles does not have to be at the expense of the environment. Due to the provision of construction using durable substrates, conductive and process technology and less materials, it is possible to significantly improve the automotive durability as well as reduce the weight of the vehicle.

D) 5G Based Transparent Antenna

Continuous demand and complexity for connectivity and wireless services, Continental offers Intelligent Solutions for the integration of multiple wireless services into a single module. Intelligent antenna modules, available in a variety of packaging options such as Shark Finn and Flat Antenna design, enable freedom in outdoor vehicle design, providing maximum integration capability. Also, with high flexibility in communication and infrastructure with other road users, V2X is an important pillar for new safety functions and automatic driving. An intelligent antenna module independent of the V2X communication protocol (DSRC, cellular network) provides the ideal point for V2X service integration. Intelligent antenna module as a contact gate with the outside world with the optimal location of the antenna for the best possible connectivity performance. The Intelligent Antenna Module 4X4 MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) antenna systems is built with 5G with cellular coverage and maximum speed connectivity.

 In addition, road safety and comfort functions with 5G antennas are enhanced with more accurate and reliable data. Only general data, such as road conditions are provided with additional information, such as correction data input in-vehicle sensors, the accurate position can be determined, and accuracy and tightness of position information can be improved. The Intelligent 5G antenna module is the flagship technology of heliostats vehicle connectivity

E) Coplanar Waveguide (CPW-Fed) Transparent Antenna for Vehicle Communications

The antenna is waveguide-fed to facilitate its production and increase its communication. The indium-tin-oxide film, a type of transparent carrier oxide, with 8 ohm / square sheet resistance, is selected as the conductive material for the radiation path and ground plane. The substrate is glass with a relative allowance of 5.5 and the total dimensions of the optimized design are 50 mm × 17 mm × 1.1 mm. The main antenna parameters, i.e., sheet resistance, reflection coefficient, and radiation diagram, were measured and compared with the simulation. The proposed antenna meets the frequency requirements for the communication of vehicles in accordance with the IEEE 802.11p standard. In addition, it includes a frequency band of 1.82 to 2.5 GHz for potential LTE communications applied to a network of vehicles.

As mentioned above, these are some of the major types of transparent antennas which are being developed. And the increasing number of vehicles at a significant rate, and new technologies are being produced for vehicle safety. This will lead to further improvements in the technology in the field of transparent antennas in the future.

Automotive Transparent Antenna Market Regional Analysis

North America is dominating the automotive transparent antenna market with the potential rate in terms of revenue due to growing adoption of hybrid vehicles in this region is likely to boost the demand for this market. For instance, in 2018, 456000 hybrids electric and plug in electric vehicles were sold in the US. Furthermore, adoption of hybrid electric vehicles has increased in the developing region especially in the U.S. and this is likely to offer key opportunities to increase the number of connected features. This is another factor propelling demand in North America regions. 

The Asia Pacific is expected to emerge as the fastest-growing regional market over the forecast period due to favorable government regulation towards hybrid cars and rising disposable incomes in this region. So, due to this kind of activities the demand for automotive transparent antennas is growing significantly over the period of time.

Report Analysis	Details
Historical data	2022-2028
Forecast Period	2025 - 2030
Market Size Expected in 2025:	USD 224.8 Million
Base year considered	2025
Forecast Period CAGR %:	37.2%.
Market Size Expected in 2030:	USD 1093.2 Million
Tables, Charts & Figures:	175
Pages	300
Automotive Transparent Antenna Companies	TE Connectivity Ltd. (Hirschmann Car Communication), Amphenol Corporation, HELLA, Laird PLC (Al Ladder Ltd), Kathrein, HARADA INDUSTRY CO., LTD, Schaffner Holding Ltd., Schwarzbeck Mess-Elektronik OHG, Metamaterial Technologies Inc., Nearson Inc., Venti Group, Others.
Segments Covered	By Component Type, By Device, By Technology
Regional Analysis	North America, U.S., Mexico, Canada, Europe, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Asia Pacific, China, Japan, India, Southeast Asia, South America, Brazil, Argentina, Columbia, The Middle East and Africa, GCC, Africa, Rest of the Middle East and Africa