Amerigon's Heated/Cooled Seat System Selected as Option for All-New 2004 Mercury Monterey Minivan
First Minivan to Offer CCS(TM) System
DEARBORN, Mich., March 12 -- Amerigon Incorporated announced today that its proprietary heated/cooled seat system will be featured as an option in the upcoming, all-new 2004 Mercury Monterey minivan expected in showrooms in the Fall. The Monterey is the first application of Amerigon's Climate Control Seat(TM) (CCS(TM)) system in a minivan and is the first Mercury vehicle to offer CCS.
CCS is the only option on the market that allows the driver and front seat passenger to heat and cool their seats individually for comfort in any weather condition at any time of the year. Originally selected by automotive manufacturers as a luxury feature, CCS is gaining broad acceptance in the marketplace. Customers of mainstream vehicles are becoming aware of the outstanding year-round comfort performance of CCS and requesting it for their vehicles, said Amerigon Chairman Oscar (Bud) Marx.
Four major automotive manufacturers have chosen CCS for use in a range of select vehicles, including full- and mid-sized luxury sedans, full- and mid- sized sports utility vehicles, a luxury roadster, a luxury utility vehicle and now a minivan.
"We are excited to be featured in the Mercury Monterey," added Marx. "The Monterey has been created to provide levels of interior luxury, modern design and functionality generally reserved for a luxury sedan. CCS will be highlighted by Mercury as a key feature in the Monterey." The new Monterey is the first in a line of vehicles that Mercury plans to introduce in coming years to update and expand its product offerings.
Other advanced features offered in the 2004 Monterey include "Safety Canopy (TM)" three-row curtain airbags and structural reinforcements for offset frontal crashes, a front-and-rear parking assist system, a fold-into- floor third-row seat and clever storage options, and dual-zone climate control. The Monterey also offers, as standard equipment, a 4.2-liter V6 engine offering more torque than any other minivan engine.
About the Climate Control Seat (CCS)
The proprietary CCS system, which is integrated into a vehicle seat, is the first system of its kind. It significantly enhances individual driver and passenger comfort in virtually all climatic conditions by providing cooling and heating to seat occupants, as desired, using a proprietary, solid-state heat pump combined with an active, microprocessor-controlled temperature management system.
Ambient air is drawn into the system from the cabin of the vehicle and, based on seat occupant inputs from individual seat controls, as well as inputs from temperature sensors built into CCS, the system's advanced design heat pump heats or cools the air. The heat pump, which uses no CFCs or other environmentally-sensitive coolants, is built around a highly efficient, solid- state Thermoelectric Device (TED) that rapidly converts electric current into the desired thermal effect (hot or cold). The "conditioned" air is circulated through the seat surfaces by a specially designed, DC fan mounted in the structure of each seat, cooling or heating each seat and its occupant to individually preferred levels of all seasons' comfort.
About Amerigon
Amerigon develops and markets its proprietary Climate Control Seat (TM) (CCS(TM)) products for automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). This product significantly enhances individual driver and passenger comfort in virtually all climatic conditions by providing cooling and heating to seat occupants, as desired, through an active thermoelectric-based temperature management system. Amerigon is engaged in developing other proprietary thermoelectric-based heating and cooling products for automotive and other market applications. Amerigon maintains sales and technical support centers in Los Angeles, Detroit, Japan and Germany.