Global ICE Reality vs EV Narrative: Why Oil Filters Still Matter in 2025

EV Story on the News, ICE Cars on the Road

Headlines in 2025 still focus on electric vehicles, but the vehicle parc on the road tells a different story. EV sales are growing, yet recent analysis shows global EV volumes in 2025 are slightly below earlier expectations, with regional growth patterns diverging. energycomment.de

At the same time, six EU member states have formally asked Brussels to soften the 2035 ban on internal combustion engine (ICE) car sales, pushing for more flexibility on hybrids and alternative fuels. Reuters

The signal is clear: even as electrification advances, ICE vehicles will remain in use for many years, especially outside a few wealthy urban markets. That means long, durable demand for engine components and, very specifically, oil filter supply.

China’s ICE Export Wave and the Global South

China’s domestic pivot to EVs has created a strange side effect: too many gasoline cars. A recent Reuters investigation shows Chinese automakers are exporting millions of gasoline vehicles they can no longer sell at home, pushing them into Latin America, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Southeast Asia. Reuters

Analysts now warn that China could dominate low- and mid-range combustion-engine markets in the Global South for years. Politics Today

This export wave adds another layer: many of these cars will enter used-car cycles in 3–7 years, further expanding the pool of vehicles that need routine maintenance. That reinforces demand for fast-moving parts like filters, belts and brake pads, regardless of EV headlines in developed markets.

Used-Car Growth Locks In Long-Term Filter Consumption

Global used-car markets are not shrinking; they are accelerating. Multiple forecasts project the used-car market to grow from about USD 2.0 trillion in 2025 to well above USD 3 trillion by early next decade, with compound annual growth around 7–8%. Research and Markets+1

Most of that volume is still conventional combustion vehicles. Every additional used vehicle transaction typically locks in several years of demand for engine components, especially oil filter replacements tied to regular service intervals.

For importers and distributors, that means a long tail of stable, non-glamorous but very profitable maintenance demand.

What This Means for Oil Filters – and for Toyota Vios Fleets

Within this context, compact sedans like the Toyota Vios are strategically important. They serve as daily family cars, fleet vehicles, and taxis across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and other cost-sensitive markets. Their appeal is simple: predictable fuel economy and low service costs.

A core part in that low-cost equation is the oil filter. Regular, reliable oil filtration protects engines from wear, especially under stop-and-go urban driving and poor fuel-quality conditions that are common in emerging markets.

One example is the
Toyota Vios Oil Filter 90915-YZZJ1 (66×75)
https://bilinkglobal.com/product/toyota-vios-oil-filter-90915-yzzj1-66×75/

For importers and retailers serving Toyota-heavy markets, stocking this type of reference is not just a catalog decision. It is a strategic decision about whether workshops can turn cars around quickly, or keep them waiting on back-ordered maintenance parts.

In a world where vehicle exports from China and used-car flows are reshaping global inventories, being “the supplier who always has the right fast-moving parts on the shelf” becomes a key competitive advantage.

Supply Chains Are Being Redrawn – and Filters Sit in the Crossfire

China’s tightening export controls are already forcing European firms to shift parts of their supply chains away from China. Reuters

Separately, forecasts for the oil filter segment show steady growth through 2032, driven by the huge installed base of ICE vehicles and heavy-duty fleets, even as EVs take share. Research and Markets+1

Put together, we get a more nuanced picture:

• Volume growth for oil filter demand is not explosive, but it is structural and sticky.

• Supply-side uncertainty (export controls, logistics, geopolitics) is rising, not falling.

• Emerging markets will carry the bulk of ICE usage, and they depend on affordable, reliable maintenance parts.

For serious importers, this combination argues for proactive, not reactive, filter sourcing strategies.

Core Considerations for Long-Term Cooperation

For distributors, workshops and fleet operators planning beyond the news cycle, a few practical priorities stand out:

• Align filter ranges with real vehicle parc
  Focus on references tied to high-volume models like Vios, Corolla, Hilux, and similar platforms.

• Secure multi-source supply for key references
  Avoid dependence on a single region or factory, especially for high-turnover engine components.

• Demand transparent technical data
  Require clear specification sheets, test data, and packaging standards for every batch of oil filter products.

• Think in service intervals, not in single sales
  Each ICE vehicle implies many future oil changes. Building customer relationships around those cycles can lock in recurring revenue.

• Use availability as a branding tool
  In many markets, the workshop that “always has the right filter” becomes the default choice for fleets and end users.

If you integrate these points into your sourcing strategy, oil filters stop being a small line item and become a stable, predictable profit pillar in a noisy, uncertain global market.