Lumileds' Luxeon LEDs Illuminate Headlamps in Concept Car

SAN JOSE, Calif., March 5 -- Lumileds' Luxeon high power LED- based light sources are making their first-ever appearance in a vehicle headlamp on a concept car unveiled today at the Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland. Headlights illuminated by white Luxeon LEDs form the stylish eyes on the Fioravanti Yak concept vehicle, extending the automotive applications for Lumileds' advanced LED technology from long-standing use for signal and rear lighting to forward lighting for the first time.

The development is significant because it reflects the ability of Luxeon light sources to deliver the powerful light output required for proper headlamp operation. Lumileds' proprietary technology delivers 10 to 20 times more light than conventional LEDs -- the highest flux per LED in the world. As a result, Luxeon is the first high power LED capable of meeting the illumination demands of forward-lighting applications.

Luxeon LEDs also offer industry-leading lumen maintenance, ensuring that the light output of a Luxeon-based headlamp will not decline throughout the life of the vehicle. In addition, Luxeon technology provides the proven benefits of a solid-state light source, including energy efficiency, space savings and life-of-vehicle operation.

Fioravanti, a leading automotive stylist, took advantage of the packaging freedom afforded by Luxeon's small footprint to produce a radically different headlamp design with striking angular styling. The forward lighting applications on the Fioravanti Yak include fog lamps and integrated headlamps with high-beam, low-beam and front-turn signal functionality, all using 50+ lumen Luxeon LEDs.

The headlamp design mates Luxeon Star LEDs to an optical element from Fraen Corporation to produce an extremely thin optical system that is controlled by proprietary software to obtain different beam patterns.

``Fioravanti's use of Luxeon technology in their concept vehicle's headlamps is a milestone in the ongoing transition from conventional lighting solutions to LED-based light sources,'' said Mark Swoboda, Lumileds VP of Marketing. ``It demonstrates that high power LEDs are increasing their penetration in the marketplace as the technology improves, giving designers the ability to incorporate smaller, longer-lasting and more energy-efficient light sources into a growing range of applications.''

Lumileds is an established supplier of LEDs and LED solutions to the automotive industry and the industry leader for exterior automotive LED solutions. Lumileds' SnapLED and Super Flux LEDs have been used in high-mount stop lamp and signal lighting applications for many years. Lumileds was a winner of the 2000 PACE award for the SnapLED technology that enabled the first all-LED rear combination lamp on the current Cadillac DeVille.

Lumileds' Luxeon technology is also used in a wide variety of non- automotive lighting applications, including traffic signals, outdoor lighting, sconces, LCD monitors and notebook computer screens. Building beacons, emergency and airfield lighting, machine vision systems, architectural and entertainment highlighting, task lights, and a broad array of other general lighting applications are also good candidates for Luxeon light sources.

About Lumileds Lighting

Lumileds Lighting is the world's leading manufacturer of high-power LEDs and a pioneer in the use of solid state lighting solutions for everyday purposes including automotive lighting, traffic signaling, signage, LCD backlighting and general lighting. The company's patented Luxeon Power Light Sources are the first to combine the brightness of conventional lighting with the small footprint, long life and other advantages of LEDs. Lumileds also supplies core LED material and LED packaging, manufacturing billions of LEDs annually, and ranks as the producer of the world's brightest red, amber, blue, green and white LEDs.

A joint venture between Agilent Technologies and Philips Lighting, Lumileds is headquartered in San Jose, California, with operations in the Netherlands and Malaysia and sales offices throughout the world. For more information, call Lumileds at 877-298-9455 or visit www.lumileds.com .

SOURCE: Lumileds Lighting