Korean display companies are expected to expand their market share in the automotive organic light-emitting diode (OLED) market this year. In addition to Samsung Display, which has already secured an overwhelming position with 70% of the automotive OLED market, LG Display is also expected to see a rebound in market share. The outlook suggests that OLED adoption will increase, particularly among luxury premium brands.
According to market research firm Omdia on Feb. 26, global automotive OLED panel shipments last year are estimated at approximately 3.05 million units. This represents an 11.8% increase compared to the previous year.
OLED penetration in automotive displays is also showing a steady upward trend. Based on revenue, OLED’s share is projected to expand from 9.5% this year to 20.7% in 2030 and 24.1% in 2031.
Samsung Display maintained its unrivaled No. 1 position in the global automotive OLED market with an estimated 71.4% market share as of last year. This figure is more than 10 percentage points higher than the previous year (60%). BOE follows with 13.2%, while LG Display holds 12.5%.
Lei Wang, an Omdia researcher, projected, “Additional automotive OLED demand this year will primarily come from European automakers,” adding, “While Samsung Display maintains its dominant position, LG Display’s market share is also expected to expand to around 18% as it enters mass production for new projects.”
Accordingly, the combined market share of Korean companies in the automotive OLED market is expected to exceed 80%. Domestic companies are accelerating OLED adoption, centered on premium vehicles.
Samsung Display’s OLED panels will also be installed in Ferrari’s first pure electric vehicle, the ‘Ferrari Luce,’ scheduled to be unveiled in May. Ferrari recently revealed part of its creative interface featuring two OLED displays layered on top of each other in the driver’s front instrument panel (cluster). The distinctive feature is the implementation of a three-dimensional (3D) effect that makes physical needles appear to float above the digital screen. Samsung Display’s OLED technology played a key role.
Ferrari explained, “By applying Samsung’s OLED technology, we have achieved more flexible and customizable displays, enabling creative layouts and driver-passenger interfaces.” This model features a tandem structure in which organic light-emitting layers are stacked in two layers. Compared to existing single layers, screen brightness has improved approximately 2 times and lifespan approximately 4 times. This design takes into account driving environments that require long-term stable operation.
The domestic display industry sees high growth potential in the automotive OLED market. This is because the trend is spreading among original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to adopt OLED not merely as a technological application but as a means of vehicle design differentiation and added value enhancement. One industry insider stated, “OLED adoption is happening first among high-end premium OEMs,” adding, “After adoption expands in luxury vehicles, it will gradually spread throughout the overall market.”
In particular, as European OEMs successively launch new electric vehicle models, the trend of flexible OLED panel adoption is increasing, centered on luxury brands. The industry analyzes that OLED application will gradually expand to mid-to-high-end segments after 2027.
Analysis suggests that the gap with Chinese companies is likely to widen further, as automotive OLED is a field that requires high technical difficulty and quality reliability. This is because the entry barrier is high, as certification and reliability verification require extended periods due to the nature of automotive components. An industry insider predicted, “European automakers tend to value long-term contracts with existing suppliers,” adding, “It will not be easy for Chinese display companies to rapidly expand OLED shipments in the short term.”
