HELLA receives further series orders for innovative chip-based headlamp system

Date: Thursday 02 September 2021

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HELLA, the internationally positioned automotive supplier has further developed, and received additional orders for, its innovative chip-based headlamp matrix system "Solid State Lighting | High Definition" (SSL|HD). For example, the technology is now also being used in an all-electric Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) from an international automobile manufacturer and in a premium vehicle from a German automobile manufacturer with the vehicles expected to go into series production in mid-2024. The total order volume amounts to up to 200 million euros over the term of the contract. Development and production of the headlamps takes place in the global HELLA network, including in Germany, the Czech Republic and China.

"The orders are once again confirmation of the added value that our innovative SSL | HD technology offers both car manufacturers and end customers," says Dr. Frank Huber, Managing Director responsible for the Lighting division at HELLA. "It is not only innovative and powerful, but also highly scalable. It enables our customers to individually select the best possible combination of security and performance. This makes the technology very interesting, especially for the volume segment."

For the first time, HELLA has implemented the SUV headlamp with an asymmetrical arrangement by integrating the SSL|HD module on only one side of the headlamp. The module also makes it easy to switch from left-hand to right-hand traffic and vice versa. High-precision digital pixel switching also provides further customisation options such as coming-home and leaving-home animations and other communication functionalities. For example, symbols can be projected onto the road to interact with the driver. To ensure optimum illumination of the road, the SSL|HD functionalities are supplemented by additional components such as BiLED and matrix modules.

HELLA's SSL|HD technology represents the evolutionary further development of LED matrix systems. This is associated with the requirement to achieve both a very high light output and a very high range of functions with a minimised size of the light modules. The SSL Micro-LED Clusters are electronic components in which currently between 100 and 25,000 LED pixels are arranged in a very small space. These LED clusters are combined as a light source in the headlamp and offer new application possibilities due to the higher number of pixels. For example, they enable partial masking of oncoming vehicles and the illumination of traffic signs. In the long term, projections of the safety distance could also be realised, or pedestrians or cyclists could be highlighted by means of light.

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