Xenon Headlight Availability Grows 25 Percent in 2005 Model Year, According to the Motor Vehicle Lighting Council

Consumer Demand for Technology Drives Additional Applications

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Feb. 7 -- The future of Xenon (also known as HID - High Intensity Discharge) headlights continues to brighten in North America with each model year. According to the Motor Vehicle Lighting Council (MVLC) there are a total of 95 vehicle models equipped with Xenon headlights being sold in North America for the 2005 model year -- up 25 percent from 75 models for 2004. The total for the 2005 model year includes 41 new vehicles available with Xenon headlights -- making this advanced lighting technology available to a larger segment of motorists. A list of 2005 model year vehicles equipped with Xenon headlights, according to the MVLC, is available at http://www.mvlc.info/ .

"As consumers become more informed about the significant safety benefits of the technology, their demand for Xenon headlights continues to increase," said Daniel R. Robusto, chairman of MVLC and president and chief operating officer of North American Lighting, Inc. "The MVLC is optimistic that as more vehicles are equipped with Xenon headlights, the estimated 2,300 pedestrian fatalities that result from poor night visibility in the United States each year will likely decrease."

Consumers value the Xenon technology, Robusto said. In a recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive -- a market research firm based in Rochester, N.Y. -- Xenon headlights ranked No. 2 on a list of top 10 automotive technologies consumers would like to purchase for their next vehicle.

Xenon headlights were introduced in the mid 1990s in Europe and Japan and first appeared on luxury and performance vehicles. Xenon headlights use advanced lighting technology to create a bluish-white light that offers up to 70 percent more light output than standard halogen headlights.

The Motor Vehicle Lighting Council (MVLC) is a coalition of the leading global automotive lighting and component manufacturers and related education and research institutions committed to bringing new lighting advancements to market in order to increase vehicle performance and vehicle and pedestrian safety.

MVLC's members represent a market segment valued at approximately $2.2 billion and produce nearly 100 percent of the headlamps used for vehicles manufactured and sold in North America.

MVLC affiliate members include top auto and lighting research organizations: the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology (DIO), Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Transportation Lighting Alliance (TLA) and the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI). Other affiliate members include DENSO Corp., GE Lighting, OSRAM Sylvania and Philips Automotive Lighting. Primary members are Automotive Lighting Corp., Decoma International Corp., Guide Corp., Hella Lighting Corp., II Stanley Co., Inc., North American Lighting, Inc., Valeo Sylvania and Visteon Corp.

The Council -- a product line group of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) -- supports ongoing research initiatives to improve the understanding of headlight glare and to inform the motoring public on lighting issues and emerging technologies. For more information, visit http://www.mvlc.info/ .