Organic LEDs Light Up Car Dashboards: The First of Many, Says ABI Research

OYSTER BAY, N.Y.--Jan. 1, 20059, 2005--Dashboard displays lit by organic LEDs (OLEDs) are making their debut in three new automobiles, the Aston-Martin DB9, the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Chevrolet Corvette.

According to ABI Research, this technology makes perfect sense for high-end vehicles. While previous uses have been limited to cell phones, digital cameras, and automotive aftermarket radios, analyst Joshua Laurito says that displays made using OLEDs offer one great advantage to auto makers: they don't wear out anything like as quickly as the lamps that illuminate conventional dashboards. Even factoring in the higher cost of the new displays, says Laurito, fewer warranty claims to replace a part costing under a dollar translates into big savings for luxury car manufacturers and dealers, and greater satisfaction for customers.

The new instruments have been built by Yazaki Corporation, which says that they offer a high contrast ratio, low voltage and power consumption, cold temperature operation, a nearly perfect 180-degree viewing angle and a thin, lightweight construction.

"Eventually," says Laurito, "higher production volumes will drive down the cost of OLED displays until they are affordable in even mid-range vehicles. Samsung, for instance, has announced a doubling of OLED production, allowing prices to fall by as much as 50%."

While OLEDs produced by expensive "small molecule" processes, hold center stage today, low-cost printed polymer OLED displays will eventually - towards the end of this decade - provide the mass market needed to spur widespread adoption, in the automotive market and elsewhere.

ABI Research's study, "Printed & Organic Electronics" provides global strategic overview of the sector and the forces that guide its development. The study analyzes potential markets and technologies, while profiling major industry players.

Founded in 1990 and headquartered in New York, ABI Research maintains global operations that support annual research programs, quarterly intelligence services and market reports in wireless, automotive, semiconductors, broadband, and energy. Their market research products can be found on the Web at www.abiresearch.com, or by calling 516.624.2500.