Hella to Showcase Electronics Technology at SAE

PLYMOUTH, Mich., April 5 -- Hella KGaA Hueck & Co. will feature its intelligent vehicle power-management and electronic-distribution systems at the SAE World Congress, April 11-14, 2005, at Booth 1433 at Cobo Center in Detroit, Michigan.

The lighting, body-control and climate-control systems required by modern vehicles mandate powerful electronic architecture and modular structures for use across multiple platforms. Hella's Intedis joint venture with Leoni has developed a variety of new designs, materials and technologies for wiring harnesses, as well as for power and voltage management.

Intelligent battery sensors and power electronics support auto-stop functions, such as those currently being used in hybrid-electric vehicles. Hella's advanced electronics enable certain vehicle systems to be automatically shut off and seamlessly restarted with a simple press of the accelerator.

"As automakers continue to add more sophisticated components to vehicles, sensors play an increasingly important role in intelligent vehicle performance," says Winfried Menge, director of product marketing and technical communications for Hella's Electronics Division. "Wiring also becomes even more critical as we strive to link many seemingly disparate components into an efficient power and information-sharing grid."

Sensors also monitor and manage battery function, alerting the driver to energy-critical situations. Hella's Intelligent Battery Sensor accurately monitors battery "health" and is sized to fit into a vehicle's existing battery location. The sensor tracks energy output from numerous electrical devices to avoid total discharge of the battery. In Europe, it will be offered on a number of vehicles produced by DaimlerChrysler and Jaguar.

Hella engineers also will present SAE technical papers on LEDs, electronics in lighting and battery management.

Lighting, electronics, complete vehicle modules, air conditioning systems, vehicle wiring systems and signal processing for the automobile industry, as well as automotive aftermarket components, are the core fields of competency for automotive supplier Hella KGaA Hueck & Co. Sales for the Hella Group are approximately $3 billion, placing Hella among Germany's top 100 industrial companies.

With its corporate headquarters in Lippstadt, Germany, the company employs nearly 24,000 people at 65 manufacturing facilities, production subsidiaries and joint-venture companies in 18 countries. More than 2,000 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 at http://www.hella.com/ .