Filtered by Cleaner Mobility

Innovation as the engine: The automotive trends shaping the future for OEMs

Innovation is the key lever that enables OEMs to actively shape the automotive industry’s transformation rather than simply react to it. It determines who comes out ahead in the race for new business models, sustainable mobility, and digital ecosystems – and who falls behind as the next wave of automotive trends takes hold. Electrification, autonomous driving, and connectivity are accelerating the industry’s digital shift and moving value creation and margins toward software, data, and services. At the same time, the global electric-vehicle fleet is growing rapidly – from around 8 million registered vehicles in 2019 to a projected 250 million in 2030 – making this transformation irreversible.^1,2 For OEMs, the message is clear: only sustained, deliberate innovation will keep them relevant in a market where new players from tech and energy are redefining entire segments.

Key areas of innovation in the automotive sector

In powertrain engineering, alternative propulsion systems – especially battery-electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles – are gaining momentum as OEMs strive to meet CO₂ targets and enable new usage models such as vehicle-as-a-service. BEV (battery-electric vehicle) and FCEV (fuel-cell electric vehicle) architectures are increasingly designed to support functions such as vehicle-to-grid (V2G) and vehicle-to-home (V2H), integrating EVs as flexible energy storage units within a connected energy system.³

V2G (vehicle-to-grid) refers to the bidirectional use of electric vehicles: electricity flows not only from the grid to the vehicle, but the vehicle can also feed energy back into the grid when needed – helping stabilize the power system.
V2H (vehicle-to-home) means the EV serves as an energy storage unit for the home – for example by storing excess solar energy or supplying power during outages or expensive peak-load periods.

At the same time, artificial intelligence (AI) is creating entirely new value-creation dynamics. Whether it’s AI-enabled autonomous driving or smarter in-vehicle functions, algorithms will further improve safety, efficiency, and comfort – and will ultimately become the defining differentiator for self-driving cars. AI is also accelerating development, testing, and validation in automotive engineering, making it a core lever for faster, data-driven R&D across the sector.

Connected driving and mobility services

By 2040, vehicle architecture will have changed fundamentally.⁴ Traditional, hardware-centric concepts are giving way to the software-defined vehicle (SDV), where software becomes the central design element. Future vehicles will be built from the start around a powerful software platform, rather than retrofitting software onto existing hardware structures.

For drivers, this creates a new mobility experience: features can be added and improved over a vehicle’s entire lifetime via over-the-air updates (OTA). Safety features, comfort functions, personalization, and connectivity can evolve continuously, significantly elevating the user experience. This shift changes products, processes, and roles across the entire value chain. Vehicles are increasingly being conceived as platforms; updates and upgrades enable an expanding feature portfolio; and connected driving becomes the foundation for new mobility services, fleet applications, and data-driven offerings.

Studies highlight how closely mobility is tied to digital connectivity – and will remain so: today, roughly half of all vehicles have connectivity features; by 2030, that share is expected to rise to around 90 percent.⁵ A key driver is changing consumer behaviors: many customers deliberately choose models with compelling connectivity features – particularly in China, where immersive, multi-screen smart-cabin interaction experiences and innovations such as integrated drones are redefining the driving experience.

In this environment, automotive future technologies such as vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication (V2V and V2I), along with V2G solutions, become essential for delivering integrated offerings that connect the vehicle, infrastructure, and the core topic of energy. For OEMs, this also means building cybersecurity solutions for the automotive industry into products at an early stage – protecting data, driving functions, and users in a highly connected environment, and strengthening trust in the emerging mobility ecosystem.

Self-driving cars are becoming reality

An autonomous vehicle is in constant data exchange – both with its own sensors and systems and with external sources such as cloud platforms, other vehicles, satellites, mobile networks, emergency services, and road infrastructure. Based on all of these factors, it can decide in real time what speed is appropriate and when it needs to brake, turn, or issue a warning signal.

To classify these technologies, automation is typically described across levels 0 through 5. Level 0 refers to purely manual driving without continuous automation; with each level, the degree of assistance increases – up to level 5, where the system performs all driving tasks entirely and human intervention is no longer required.⁶

By 2030, several major technology leaps are expected in the automotive sector. The share of new vehicles equipped with level 3 or level 4 automation functions is projected to be around twelve percent.⁷

Continuous innovation: challenges and opportunities for OEMs

Resilience will become an even more decisive factor for OEMs. The industry’s transformation is forcing manufacturers to build flexible, resilient production networks and supply chains. New EV platforms, shorter software cycles, and volatile markets all increase pressure on supply chains – making modular architectures, diversified sourcing strategies, and transparent data flows the new baseline.

At the same time, business models for tier-1 suppliers simultaneously face both pressure and opportunity. Those that position themselves as system partners for hardware, software, and services can take on new and expanded roles within the mobility ecosystem. As a result, the future of automotive manufacturing is shifting toward flexible, digitally connected factories where digital twins link production planning, commissioning, and after-sales optimization.

Transforming the automotive industry: new business models and energy integration

As electric mobility penetrates the market, new revenue opportunities are emerging around automotive trends through 2030 – especially at the intersection of mobility and energy. V2G technologies turn electric vehicles into grid-supporting assets, while V2H solutions enable users to make use of surplus household energy and strengthen the automotive circular economy (circularity in the automotive industry) within energy management as well.

These developments clearly reflect the automotive industry’s future trends: flexible tariff models, bidirectional charging, and data-driven energy-management platforms will all become part of a connected service portfolio. Automotive OEMs that invest in these models at an early stage can differentiate themselves and expand their innovation strategies with scalable service revenue streams.

Partnerships with tech companies and start-ups for new automotive trends

The complexity of disruptive automotive trends – especially in software, AI, and cloud infrastructure – makes strategic partnerships absolutely critical for success. Collaborations with tech companies and start-ups enable OEMs to scale far faster in areas such as autonomous driving and connected mobility services than they could if they were on their own.

In the near future, AI will be a core component of a healthy automotive industry. For suppliers and technology partners such as MANN+HUMMEL, this creates opportunities to work with OEMs on solutions that accelerate automotive R&D, shorten development timelines, and spread the risk of large transformation programs. In this way, the automotive sector’s digitalization becomes a collaborative process across the entire mobility ecosystem.

Automotive filtration as a driver of innovation

Filtration is often underestimated, but is a central enabler of innovation in the automotive sector. MANN+HUMMEL develops filter solutions for alternative propulsion systems such as battery-electric drivetrains, hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, e-axles, and hybrid transmissions – protecting components from particles, harmful gases, moisture, and chemical exposure.

Why the mobility of the future relies on filtration solutions from MANN+HUMMEL:

Enhanced protection for vehicle occupants against airborne pollutants, unpleasant odors, and harmful gases
High separation performance with minimal maintenance requirements
Noticeable improvement in the efficiency and performance of propulsion systems
Significant reduction in maintenance interventions and unplanned downtime
Optimized service life for drivetrains and key components
Filter designs optimized for airflow and low pressure drop
Cost-efficient, energy-saving filtration designed for economic and sustainable operation
We offer both customized, customer-specific packages and standardized solution bundles
End-to-end offering – from individual components to complete system solutions, from a single source

For BEVs and FCEVs, advanced air and liquid filtration systems play a key role in protecting high-voltage batteries, power electronics, and fuel-cell stacks – creating an important foundation for the future of vehicle technology and innovative new trends in the automotive industry. At the same time, highly efficient cabin filters vastly improve interior and exterior air quality and support our holistic vision of cleaner mobility.

More sustainable materials and circularity

With the automotive circular economy in mind, MANN+HUMMEL is systematically working to establish more sustainable materials in automotive filtration. This includes cellulose-based filter media with plant-based impregnation, the use of FSC-certified cellulose, and PU foams made from plant oils, which reduce crude-oil consumption and the CO₂ footprint.

At the same time, using recycled and recyclable plastics in filter components improves recyclability and supports OEMs on their path toward the automotive industry’s transformation through 2030, with circular principles fully embedded across the entire value chain. In addition, our filtration experts are developing solutions to minimize PFAS emissions in fuel-cell applications – a vital contribution to clean, future-ready hydrogen technologies.

Smart filters for autonomous and connected vehicles

In highly automated vehicles, filters and sensor systems are increasingly becoming intelligent components that provide condition data and can be integrated into the overall vehicle network. Condition-monitoring functions and smart filter modules help OEMs optimize maintenance intervals (up to to zero maintenance), reduce failure risks, and increase the availability of fleets and autonomous vehicles.

In combination with AI-enabled autonomous driving, these data can also be used in the future to improve algorithms, refine safety strategies, and increase the overall performance of software-defined vehicle architecture platforms. This makes filtration an integral part of data-driven services – from predictive maintenance to new and emerging aftermarket business models.

Now and in the future: MANN+HUMMEL is actively shaping automotive trends

By 2030, global vehicle sales are expected to grow to around 100 million units, driven primarily by growth markets and increasing electrification.^₈At the same time, the share of connected vehicles and software-based functions will also rise significantly – meaning automotive trends through 2030 will be defined by a high share of BEVs, higher levels of automation, and new mobility services.

For innovative OEMs, the future of the automotive industry becomes a strategic design challenge. Those that seize the opportunities of electrification, connectivity, and AI, establish robust cybersecurity solutions, and commit to sustainable value creation and a well-designed automotive circular economy will undoubtedly strengthen their position for the long term. MANN+HUMMEL supports this transformation with smarter, more sustainable filtration technologies – helping translate automotive R&D innovations more quickly into market-ready solutions for clean, connected, and safe mobility.

Would you like to set trends instead of following them? Are you looking for innovative, future-proof filtration from one of the world’s leading manufacturers? Contact us. Together, we can shape cleaner mobility for a cleaner planet.