An unassuming car door seal conceals a battle over material choices. Over the past two years, the balance has been quietly shifting.

Current Market Shares

The automotive sealing market is currently dominated by TPV, accounting for approximately 55%, followed by EPDM at around 30%, and TPE at roughly 15%.

TPV has solidified its position as the industry leader thanks to its vulcanized elastomer, but its weaknesses are becoming increasingly difficult to conceal.

VOC is a major drawback of TPV

The EU ELV Directive sets the limit for volatile organic compounds at below 50 micrograms per gram, whereas the vulcanization process used in TPV can result in VOC levels as high as 200 to 300 micrograms per gram, leading many automakers to remove it from their procurement lists. TPE follows a hydrogenated SEBS route, with VOC levels reduced to below 20 micrograms per gram, meeting Volkswagen’s TL526 standard, and achieving 100% recyclability.

In the future, regulations regarding in-vehicle odors will only become stricter. Whoever stabilizes low-odor technology first will hold the next ticket to enter the market.

Lightweight and resilient—TPE has it all

TPE has a density of about 0.9 grams per cubic centimeter, lighter than TPV’s 1.2 and EPDM’s 1.5, enabling a bicycle to reduce its weight by 15% to 20%. After 1,500 hours of xenon‑lamp aging, the tensile strength retention rate still exceeds 85%, and this material has already been adopted in models such as the NIO ET7 and the BYD Han.

The inflection point is approaching

Low-odor formulations have reduced VOC levels to below 50 micrograms per gram, meeting the in-vehicle Class 3 standard; industry forecasts predict near‑universal adoption by 2026. EPDM still holds its ground in sunroof and glass channel applications thanks to its weather resistance, but in the era of new energy vehicles, its high carbon footprint and poor recyclability are becoming increasingly problematic. This three-way battle over sealing strips is far from over—there’s still no point in drawing conclusions.