OSRAM Global Automotive Lighting Becomes World's First Producer of Complete Mercury-Free High Intensity Discharge System

First Major OEM Program Awarded

HILLSBORO, N.H., Dec. 20 -- OSRAM Global Automotive Lighting has become the first supplier in the world to win a program award for a complete mercury-free high intensity discharge (HID) lamp and ballast system, fulfilling the growing demand for HID lighting systems and environmentally friendlier products. OSRAM's landmark mercury-free innovation, known as the D3 HID forward lighting system, is available for global original equipment manufacturer (OEM) automotive applications.

"OSRAM recognized the market demand for HID in the late 1990s. We've leveraged our expertise in both lamps and ballasts to develop and refine a mercury-free HID system solution," said Jim Johnson, executive vice president and general manager of OSRAM Global Automotive Lighting. "This innovation eliminates the trace amount of mercury present in standard HID systems."

"The OSRAM mercury-free HID forward lighting system also provides a higher luminance light source with a more concentrated arc that has less color separation at the edges," Johnson added. "In fact, the mercury-free system has better color stability than most standard HID lighting."

The new mercury-free HID system expands the options available to automakers eager to meet the growing consumer demand for HID-equipped vehicles. Over 1.2 million vehicles in North America are currently equipped with HID headlights. A 2003 study by Dorr Research Corporation of Burlington, Vt. found that 92 percent of vehicle owners currently using HID lighting would buy a vehicle with the technology again.

OSRAM's mercury-free HID system is the latest in a series of environmentally friendlier automotive lighting products.

About OSRAM SYLVANIA

OSRAM SYLVANIA is the world leader in automotive lighting for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and the aftermarket. The company's global automotive lighting division has its principal North American operations in Hillsboro, N.H., with nearly 1,000 employees. In addition to TS 16949, this facility has also achieved ISO 9001 and 14001 certifications. OSRAM SYLVANIA along with its affiliate, OSRAM Opto Semiconductors, designs, develops, manufacturers and markets world-class automotive light sources including auxiliary, advanced halogen, light emitting diodes (LEDs) and HID technologies for interior, exterior and forward lighting applications. Automotive applications for OEMs are marketed under the OSRAM brand, while products for the aftermarket are sold under the SYLVANIA brand.

Headquartered in Danvers, Mass., OSRAM SYLVANIA is the North American operation of OSRAM GmbH. Together with our parent company, we are one of the two largest lighting and materials enterprises in the world, serving customers in more than 140 countries. We manufacture and market a wide range of lighting products, including automotive, electronic and magnetic ballasts, and precision materials and components for industrial and commercial users, original equipment manufacturers and consumers, sold primarily under the SYLVANIA brand name, but also under the OSRAM brand. OSRAM SYLVANIA also offers lighting systems installation and maintenance services. For further information, please refer to our Web site at http://www.sylvania.com/ .