With the existing market of gas stations in China entering an "aging" period and the impact and reshaping of new energy infrastructure construction, the fuel dispenser spare parts industry is standing at a crossroads of transformation and upgrading. On the one hand, the slowdown in the growth rate of the traditional fuel market has brought pressure from competition for existing customers. On the other hand, the acceleration of the standardization process of components and the breakthrough in domestic substitution of core components are opening up an unprecedented market blue ocean for this industry.
Against the backdrop of the increasing penetration rate of new energy vehicles, the growth rate of new demand for traditional fuel dispensers in the market has slowed down, but the aftermarket for fuel dispenser spare parts has demonstrated extremely strong resilience. By 2025, China will have over 100,000 gas stations, with a huge number of existing refueling equipment. As the service life of equipment increases, the demand for the maintenance and replacement of components becomes a necessity.
According to industry research data, the market size of fuel dispenser rubber hoses alone in China is expected to reach 5.87 billion yuan in 2025, with a stable compound annual growth rate of around 6.8%. In addition, the global fuel filling port assembly market was approximately 3.83 billion yuan in 2024 and is expected to approach 4.37 billion yuan by 2031, maintaining a steady growth trend. This indicates that although the incremental market is impacted by new energy, the parts market based on the maintenance and upgrade of existing equipment still has a solid "foundation".
For a long time, the most core challenge faced by the fuel dispenser spare parts market has been the "lack of unified standards". There are numerous domestic manufacturers of fuel dispensers and their components. Components of fuel dispensers from different brands or even different models are often not interchangeable. This has brought huge difficulties to the procurement, inventory management and daily maintenance of gas stations, and also led to the waste of social resources. A turning point is emerging. According to authoritative industry research, among the 48 components of fuel dispensers, 8 components such as password keyboards, shut-off valves, and pull-off valves have achieved initial standardization. What is more worthy of attention is that another 28 components have been included in the list of those that can be standardized. According to estimates, if all 28 components are standardized, taking 10,000 gas stations as the benchmark, more than 10.7 million yuan in costs can be saved annually. Standardization brings about not only a reduction in costs but also an improvement in efficiency. Industry experts point out that standardization can prompt suppliers to improve their product specification systems, facilitate assembly line production, and reduce procurement risks. It is an inevitable path for the industry to mature.
In addition to the internal efficiency improvement brought about by standardization, the domestic substitution of core components is bringing about "quantitative growth" and "qualitative leap" to the industry. This trend is particularly evident in the field of aviation refueling. In early 2025, China National Aviation Fuel Corporation achieved the batch delivery of the first set of domestically produced apron refueling equipment (refueling bolts, well bodies and well covers). Compared with similar imported products, the procurement cost of domestic fuel plugs has been directly reduced by 47%, and this has forced imported products to lower their prices by 16%. This has broken the technological and standard blockade of foreign products, not only ensuring national energy security, but also driving the upgrading of the entire domestic industrial chain, including casting, new materials and intelligent control. This "import substitution" logic is penetrating into more niche fields. Whether it is the core metering components and hydraulic components of fuel dispensers, or various valves and hoses, domestic suppliers with high cost performance and rapid response capabilities are gradually eroding the foreign market share. "Challenges and Opportunities in the New Energy Era Facing the "dual carbon" goals, traditional fuel dispenser spare parts enterprises are under pressure to transform, but they also encounter cross-border opportunities. With the accelerated construction of hydrogen refueling stations and combined oil, gas and hydrogen stations, the market for components of natural gas and hydrogen refueling equipment has become a new growth point. Although the hydrogen energy business is currently not very profitable due to the slow commercialization process, enterprises with forward-looking layouts have begun to secure their positions in this field.
In addition, the trend of intelligence has also injected new impetus into the accessories industry. Intelligent sensors with self-diagnostic functions and Internet of Things modules that support remote operation and maintenance are becoming important accessories for the new generation of refueling equipment. These high value-added products not only enhance the value space of individual accessories but also open a window for traditional accessory enterprises to enter the field of smart energy services.
To sum up, the fuel dispenser spare parts market in 2026 is currently in a period of interweaving "zero-sum game" and "structural upgrading". In the short term, whoever can solve the compatibility problem of standardized parts first will be able to seize the initiative in the post-repair market. In the long term, whoever can achieve independent control of core components and complete technological reserves in new energy refueling parts will be able to gain the initiative in the future energy supply ecosystem. On this hundred-billion-yuan track, standardization is the cornerstone of efficiency, domestic substitution is the guarantee of safety, and intelligence and cross-border transformation are the tickets to the future. The market's winnowing process has already begun. Only those enterprises that follow the trend can navigate through the cycles and sail into new blue oceans.
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