Rolls Royce Phantom Has Hella Bi-Xenon Lighting

PLYMOUTH, Mich., Sept. 16 -- High-tech bi-xenon lighting technology by Hella is capturing a growing share of the luxury-vehicle market for exterior driving lights.

The new Rolls Royce Phantom, developed by BMW, is one of the most recent luxury cars equipped with a Hella-designed bi-xenon system. Other vehicles equipped with Hella's bi-xenon technology include the Ferrari Enzo, Mercedes Maybach, Porsche 911 Turbo and Lamborghini Murcielago, as well as the BMW 7 Series and Audi A8.

The round projection module situated below the rectangular lamp unit houses position and indicator lights. The xenon light is projected precisely, without glare, onto the road with the aid of an aspherical lens, 70 millimetres in diameter.

A movable shield creates the required beam pattern. When the shield is raised, it produces a low beam light; when lowered it makes room for the main beam. The color of the light remains the same when changing from dipped to main beam.

When compared with halogen lamps, xenon light provides more than double the amount of light while requiring one-third less power. The extremely precise projection technology ensures very wide, bright illumination. The exceptionally wide and intense main beam provides greater safety on free stretches of road.

Hella's second-generation bi-xenon module, with an improved beam pattern, is being combined with fourth-generation xenon electronics. Particular attention has been paid to increased electromagnetic compatibility requirements.

The complete bi-xenon system also includes a headlamp cleaning system and a dynamic headlamp leveller, which compensates for changes in load, as well as for acceleration and braking maneuvers within milliseconds.

The rectangular lamp units above the two round bi-xenon modules are reserved for position and indicator light functions. Hella design engineers worked to ensure a perfectly brilliant appearance when the lamp is in the off position.

When functioning, the position light is produced by an optical element surrounding a P21/5 bulb, which deflects light onto a smooth, high-sheen vapor-coated reflector surface. The indicator light uses a Silver Vision indicator in a diadem design, which has a golden shimmer when in the "off" position.

The front lighting is manufactured by Hella in Lippstadt, Germany. Hella is also supplying various interior lamps which are manufactured at Hella Innenleuchten-Systeme GmbH in Wembach in the Black Forest, for the new Rolls Royce Phantom.

Hella is the European market leader for xenon headlamps and their respective electronic systems, with a market share of more than 60 percent.

Lighting, electronics, complete vehicle modules, air conditioning systems, vehicle wiring systems and signal processing for the automobile industry, as well as parts suppliers to the aftermarket, are the core competence fields of automotive supplier Hella KG Hueck & Co. Sales for the Hella Group are approximately $3.8 billion, placing Hella among the top 100 German industrial companies.

With its corporate headquarters in Lippstadt, Germany, the company employs more than 22,800 people at 61 manufacturing facilities, production subsidiaries and joint-venture companies in 18 countries. Over 1,800 engineers and technicians work in research and development. All of the world's leading automobile and systems manufacturers are Hella customers as well as the automotive components aftermarket.

Additional information is available on the Internet at www.hella.com .