Hyundai Mobis beats Japan’s Aisin for first time in auto parts sales

[Photo by Yonhap]

South Korea’s Hyundai Mobis Co. has overtaken its biggest rival, Japan’s Aisin Seiki, a key manufacturer of Toyota Motor Corp. auto parts, to make it to the global top five in the auto parts industry, excluding battery makers.

According to sources on Tuesday, Hyundai Mobis ranked sixth in the Global Auto Parts Industry Top 100 ranking released by U.S.-based Automotive News, behind Germany’s Bosch, Japan’s Denso, Germany’s ZF, Canada’s Magna and China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co.

Excluding battery maker CATL, Hyundai Mobis is the only company in the top 5 in the auto parts industry, as Automotive News included battery producers, a component of electric vehicles, in its rankings this year.

Automotive News publishes the rankings annually by tracking the sales towards global finished car manufacturers.

This is the first time Hyundai Mobis has beaten Japan’s Aisin ranked seventh this year, a traditional powerhouse in the auto parts industry and its biggest competitor.

Hyundai Mobis, which entered the ranking at No. 25 in 2006, has been at No. 6 since last year, after reaching No. 10 in 2011. The company had sales of $32.2 billion in finished vehicles last year. Aisin’s sales were $31.2 billion.

New this year, the ranking also includes battery companies, with 11 from South Korea.

Hyundai Mobis was followed by Samsung SDI at No. 16, while Hyundai Transys and Hyundai WIA, both under Hyundai Motor Group, were ranked 35th and 43rd, respectively. SK on Co. was ranked 44th.

Thirty European companies, 21 North American companies, 22 Japanese companies, and 12 Chinese companies are new to the top 100.