In the big automotive parts industry, automotive lighting has transcended its role as a traditional functional component. Now, its focus is more on product design, safety, aesthetics, and brand differentiation.
Customized automotive lighting OEM and ODM solutions enable automotive lighting manufacturers in the industry to create highly competitive products for their own factories. From LED headlights to bi-LED projector lens and fog lights, unique one-stop OEM ODM automotive lighting solutions are tailored to meet the diverse needs of customers.
Automotive Lighting Market Size in 2026
Looking ahead to 2026, the global automotive lighting OEM/ODM market continues to grow. The automotive lighting market size is projected to reach US$24.45 billion by 2025 and US$32 billion by 2030, representing a CAGR of 5.53%.
This growth is primarily driven by the current market trend of auto lighting factories shifting from energy-intensive halogen lamps to longer-life LED headlights.
The main automotive lighting manufacturing hub remains the Asia-Pacific region, while the Middle East and Africa are expected to be the fastest-growing regions for automotive lighting manufacturers.
Understanding OEM/ODM in Automotive Lighting
OEM and ODM are two main sourcing models for different customer groups in the automotive lighting industry. Like new brand suits for ODM, and the major brand is chosen for OEM.
OEM Solution:
In this model, automotive lighting manufacturers produce automotive lighting products based on the product specifications, designs, and branding information provided by the customer.
This model is ideal for established brands, as they already have their own brand designs. Also, they are looking for factories with quality control capabilities to manufacture their products.
ODM Solution:
The ODM model refers to automotive lighting manufacturers designing and manufacturing products themselves, which are then branded, promoted, and sold by the customer.
This model allows customers to accelerate product launches and reduce development costs.
This model is excellent for customers just entering the automotive lighting field or those requiring rapid customization.
Both models support high levels of customization, allowing customers to choose from a wide range of options, from halogen lamps to LED headlights, and from 50-watt to 400-watt high-power headlights.
Koito Manufacturing, Valeo, Hella, and AKE all offer customization and wholesale options.
The OEM/ODM model is popular due to its cost-effectiveness, rapid production, and customizability. For automotive lighting brands, this collaborative model reduces the burden of internal R&D while ensuring compliance with global standards such as FMVSS (USA) and ECE (Europe).
Automotive Lighting Market Trends and Growth in 2026
The booming development of the modern automotive lighting industry is mainly driven by the following key trends. If you are also considering starting a business or developing in the automotive lighting field, I hope you can serve as a reference.
LED Leading：
Currently, LED headlight is a leading technology in automotive headlights due to its superior energy efficiency, long lifespan (up to 50,000 hours), and high brightness compared to halogen and side lamps.
It is projected that by 2026, LED adoption in headlights and taillights will exceed 80%, replacing halogen and xenon lamps.
Electric Cars Development:
The establishment of an electric vehicle factory by BYD in Brazil has spurred the development of electric vehicles in South America.
Electric cars require low-power lighting systems to extend their range, and LED headlights meet this need.
ADAS Integration:
Adaptive lighting systems, such as matrix LED headlights, can adjust the beam to achieve optimal visibility without dazzling oncoming drivers.
It is projected that by 2028, the adoption rate of adaptive high beam (ADB) systems will reach 21.7%.
Brand Design:
Unique Car lighting designs—including patterns and logos—from different factories help brands stand out. AKE’s YZ series headlights are popular in the Middle East.
Sustainability Focus:
Environmentally friendly materials and energy-efficient designs comply with global CO2 emission regulations.
Regional data shows that the Asia-Pacific region leads with a 40-45% market share, primarily due to its manufacturing hubs in China and Japan. North America and Europe focus more on advanced safety features.
Benefits of OEM ODM Automotive Lighting Solutions for Brands
Customized OEM/ODM automotive lighting provides tangible advantages:
Creating Brand Differentiation:
- Unique Design:
Customized headlights can make different light shapes, patterns, and effects, becoming part of the brand’s visual identity now.
For example, the BMW 5 Series’ “angel eye” headlights, Audi’s matrix LED headlights, and its “devil eye” headlights. These are all elements that major brands use to create their own iconic brand identity through unique headlight designs.
- Consistent Headlight Style:
Customized headlights can unify the lighting language of a brand’s models, reinforcing the brand’s design style and allowing consumers to recognize the brand solely by its headlights.
For example, the minimalist lighting design of the new Tesla Model Y features a continuous LED light strip at both the front and rear, significantly enhancing its premium feel.
Enhancing Brand Image and Positioning
- High Quality & Luxury:
Exquisite design, high brightness, and customizable lighting systems with adjustable color temperatures.
Examples include the AKE three-color temperature headlights and the YZ series headlights. Die-casting design enhances the product’s aesthetic and technological feel, allowing for customization of different headlight colors and showcasing the brand’s commitment to quality and detail.
- Youthful & Personalized:
Targeting the new generation of young consumers, OEM ODM automotive lighting Solutions provide personalized lighting effects, meeting consumers’ needs for individual expression and shaping a young, fashionable, and vibrant brand image, thereby attracting a younger customer base.
Enhanced Safety
- Intelligent Safety Lighting:
Customized OEM & ODM automotive lighting integrates adaptive high beams, cornering lights, and other functions to avoid glare for other vehicles or pedestrians, reducing accidents and enhancing safety.
The use of LED lights provides immediate illumination, giving drivers more time to react.
- Environmental Adaptability:
Through customized lighting design, vehicles can better adapt to different environments (such as nighttime and rainy/foggy weather), providing clear illumination.
The intelligent light adjustment function also demonstrates the brand’s focus on user needs and enhances its technological image.
Differentiated Competition and Market Expansion
- Breaking Through Homogeneous Competition:
The biggest taboo in automotive headlight lighting is severe homogenization.
Customized automotive lighting is a crucial means for brands to stand out in this industry.
Unique designs and practical functions can garner more consumer attention, especially in the current new energy vehicle sector, where intelligent lighting is a key selling point.
- Expanding into Niche Markets:
For specific groups (such as tech enthusiasts or users with personalized needs), OEM ODM automotive lighting solutions can develop exclusive lighting functions or configurations to meet niche market demands and expand the brand’s market boundaries.
For example, some aftermarket brands attract car modification enthusiasts and enhance their brand influence in niche markets through customized lighting kits—”devil eyes.”
For automotive lighting manufacturers, these advantages can also be applied to our product manufacturing or market analysis for our clients. This is a competitive advantage in our industry – staying keenly aware of the market at all times.
AKE Automotive Lighting Design and Production Process
Customized OEM ODM automotive lighting design and production processes always involve the following steps, progressing from concept to reality:
Requirements and Concept Design
- Market Research and User Needs Analysis:
Based on the car model and market positioning, tell the functional requirements and design requirements of the car headlight/projector lens/fog lights.
For startup brands, AKE offers:
You need to know that startups typically face three common pain points: limited resources, unclear market positioning, and low brand awareness.
AKE has over 20 years of experience, enabling them to fully understand the market and user needs, comprehend target user pain points, and help these brands quickly establish a competitive advantage.
And many factories do not accept wholesale or customization for small-batch needs. AKE allows these clients to conduct small-batch wholesale and customization services. Because AKE believes these clients will be successful.
Furthermore, AKE’s R&D team of over 20 professionals provides free product design to help startup brands visualize lighting solutions.
For established brands, AKE offers:
A mature brand means it already has a certain market share and brand influence.
- So what services can AKE provide for them?
- Why do they need these services?
This is what I will discuss next.
Established brands generally face challenges such as innovation pressure, product upgrades, and global competition.
AKE, with over 300 employees, a 10,000+ square meter production base, and over 100 pieces of equipment, helps these established brands provide more advanced, deeply customized services.
This is because we offer established brands higher profit margins and reduced overall costs; we also provide more than 10 new product launches every month, ensuring technological innovation and brand continuity.
In addition, AKE utilizes AI tools to provide more multi-dimensional user feedback. Every piece of content is compiled by our sales staff directly from information gathered from customers around the world, helping brands optimize their product lines.
Product Design and Development
- Product Design:
Based on the client’s ideas, the designer designs the headlights’ internal structure, selects product materials, determines heat dissipation methods, mounting interfaces, and protection levels.
These ensure compliance with the client’s local and national regulations and automotive-grade reliability requirements (such as IP67、IP68).
- Optical Design:
Primarily designed for the headlights’ brightness distribution, color temperature, and color rendering index of the high beam.
Otherwise, optimizing optical parameters such as reflectors, lenses, and diffusers to achieve the desired high/low beam effect.
Sample Production and Testing
Based on the information confirmed by the client, AKE will produce samples and conduct functional tests.
- Performance Testing:
In actual road environments, we will conduct lighting tests, including brightness, color temperature, waterproofing, and shock resistance. This verifies compliance with design requirements and regulatory standards.
Mass Production Preparation
Based on mass production requirements, the AKE team will strictly control quality from the incoming material stage to ensure a high degree of consistency between production efficiency and product quality.
- AKE Factory Management:
AKE has a quality control team to select and confirm the Suppliers of raw materials. Such as LED chips, optical components, and circuit boards. Moreover, procurement agreements will be signed to ensure supply stability and controllable quality.
- Production Optimization:
Production process specifications will be established, including assembly sequence, quality inspection standards, and equipment maintenance plans.
Trial production will be conducted to resolve any potential process issues.
Production Process and Quality Control
- When actual production begins：
AKE organizes its production line for mass production according to the established product processes, achieving efficient manufacturing.
How is Quality Guaranteed?
AKE’s quality control personnel have a rigorous quality inspection system.
Each batch of products is sampled and tested, and production data and quality information are recorded to ensure product traceability.
Throughout the production process, from customer reception, product design, and engineer responses, to factory production and quality control, everyone adheres to strict regulations and procedures.
This ensures that customers’ products are produced on time and to the required quality.
Conclusion
Customized OEM ODM automotive lighting solutions can help car brands create more efficient and cost-effective vehicles.
By partnering with experienced automotive lighting manufacturers, both large automakers and emerging wholesalers can achieve their own success.
If you want to get AKE OEM ODM automotive lighting solutions, please feel free to contact us.
AKE, choose and trust.
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