See 4 new trends in automotive lighting from the ALE Auto Lighting Show

From March 26 to 28, the Shanghai International Automotive Lighting Exhibition was held at the Kunshan Huaqiao International Expo Center. When LEDinside visited a number of companies at the exhibition site, it was found that as the "new four modernizations" of automobile electrification, networking, intelligence, and sharing continued, the following four new trends emerged in the development of automotive lighting products:

Trend 1. Domestic ADB headlight-related products continue to increase

Under the development trend of the new four modernizations, the demand for ADB adaptive headlights in automobiles is increasing. ADB technology can automatically adjust the beam pattern of car lights according to road and traffic conditions to improve the safety and comfort of night driving.

Domestic LED companies continue to follow up on the layout of ADB technology, bringing a variety of pixel solutions. Sanan Optoelectronics, Nationstar Optoelectronics, Jingneng Optoelectronics, Shengpu Optoelectronics, Jinko Electronics, and Tiandian Optoelectronics all brought chips, devices, modules and other products for ADB headlight applications.

For example, Jinko Electronics exhibited a 32-pixel ADB module with a contrast ratio greater than 200:1 and a pixel pitch of 0.1mm. The product has a clear lighting effect with bright and dark division boundaries;

Jinko Electronics 32-pixel ADB module

Downstream car lighting companies such as Xingyu Co., Ltd., Damao Verrico, Hella, etc. also regard ADB car lighting application cases as one of their key exhibits, which means that downstream car companies have regarded ADB car lighting as one of their key development products in the future.

It is worth noting that with the introduction of Micro LED technology, ADB adaptive headlights have been significantly improved in terms of digital control accuracy and flexible adjustment of the illuminated area, and are developing in the direction of higher pixelated lighting.

After ams and Osram took the lead in launching the EVIYOS 2.0 high-pixel projection headlight integrating 25,600 independently controllable Micro LEDs, domestic companies followed closely and launched related products.

BOE Huacan Optoelectronics demonstrated ADB matrix pixel headlights equipped with Micro LED light source components. A single light-emitting unit has more than 40,000 chips, achieving 10,000-level pixel dynamic control, providing precise beam control capabilities for matrix headlights.

BOE Huacan Optoelectronics Micro LED ADB matrix pixel headlight effect

At the exhibition site, Nationstar Optoelectronics and Hongli Zhihui also exhibited related MicroLED pixelated lighting products. As the new four modernizations of automobiles continue in the future, the demand for ADB car lights is expected to continue to grow, and the layout of domestic enterprises will also accelerate simultaneously.

Trend 2: The increase in LED pixelated taillights and car lights

The increase in LED pixelated taillights and car lights is also a major trend in this exhibition. Exterior vehicle lighting products undertake more interactive functions besides lighting, shaping personalized and entertainment models, and displaying various prompts and warning information.

For example, Jinko Electronics exhibited pixelated car lights and other products using Mini LED RGB P1.5 full-color interactive screens, ultra-red LED P2.8 interactive screens, white light P2.8 interactive screens, etc. Yishan Auto Lighting, a subsidiary of Hongli Zhihui, exhibited Mini LED taillights and dot matrix interactive screens.

A series of interactive screens exhibited by Jinko Electronics

Yishan Auto Light Mini LED Tail Light

Yishan Auto Light Dot Matrix Interactive Screen

In addition, the car lighting company Xingyu Co., Ltd. exhibited a 3D three-dimensional display rear combination lamp, which is made of OLED and Mini LED technology. Based on high-brightness Mini LED technology, the combination lights can achieve dynamic welcome effects, freely define different patterns or animations, and assist driving and entertainment functions.

Xingyu Co., Ltd. 3D three-dimensional display rear combination light

It is foreseeable that with the continuous introduction of LED technology, car lights will gradually become visual screens in the future.

Trend 3, LED ambient light function and style upgrade

The ambient lights in the car are also being upgraded. The ambient lights not only have the function of creating a comfortable atmosphere, but also have more practical functions such as night driving assistance and warning information display. In addition, the styles of ambient lights are also constantly changing to create more personalized interior lighting to meet the needs of car companies and consumers.

For example, Hongli Zhihui exhibited Smart RGB products. The RGB and driver IC are integrated and packaged, and can independently drive and calibrate the LED light color. Foda Signal's fireworks ambient lights, a subsidiary of Hongli Zhihui, have unique shapes, and the multi-mode dynamic projection lights on display are responsible for intelligent application functions such as door opening warnings, lane change reminders, and fatigue driving; With the increasing importance of ambient lighting, the role and style of ambient lighting may change again in the future, subverting people's understanding of ambient lighting.

Trend 4: Autonomous driving boosts the development of ADS sign light market

ADS identification lights are an important part of autonomous driving and assisted driving technology. They improve road safety and traffic efficiency by clearly communicating the vehicle's autonomous driving status and the activation status of assisted driving functions to the outside world. With the continuous development of autonomous driving technology, ADS identification lights will have more intelligent interactive functions.

In some countries and regions, ADS identification lights have become a legal requirement for autonomous vehicles and assisted driving functions. For example, the European Union's ECE R79 regulations stipulate that autonomous vehicles must be equipped with a lighting system that can clearly communicate the autonomous driving status to the outside world. The NHTSA in the United States is also studying and formulating relevant regulations.

Faced with this trend, domestic automotive lighting companies are gradually paying attention to the development and layout of ADS logo lighting products.

For example, the ice blue light product developed by Nationstar Optoelectronics has been embedded in the smart driving systems of many car companies, supporting ADS lights to realize intelligent interactive functions such as driving status reminders and complex road condition recognition. At the same time, Nationstar Optoelectronics has also created the TOP2835 light source platform, which is suitable for many types of products such as ADS auxiliary lights, effectively reducing the selection cost. Achieve rapid adaptation across vehicle models.

In the future, ADS identification lights will become an integral part of autonomous vehicles and assisted driving functions, providing important support for achieving a safer and more efficient traffic environment.

Summary

Under the wave of the new four modernizations, car lighting products have once again ushered in upgrades and changes. More importantly, as the demand for car lights has upgraded, LED penetration continues to expand and has become an important car lighting source technology.

TrendForce predicts that due to the pressure of market competition and cost reduction, automobile manufacturers are actively marketing advanced automotive lighting technologies as high value-added products, driving the steady growth of the market demand for car lights/automotive LEDs in 2024, reaching US$37.395 billion and US$3.445 billion respectively.

Under this trend, LED technology is expected to continue to penetrate in 2025 and promote new developments in automotive lighting technology... As the ALE exhibition comes to an end, automotive lighting is about to start a new development journey again. What new trends will emerge in the automotive lighting industry in the future? Let's wait and see.