2005 Toyota Century Luxury Vehicle Features Amerigon's Climate Control Seat(TM) (CCS(TM)) System
Exclusive Limousine Sold in Japan includes Heated/Cooled Seats as Standard Feature
DEARBORN, Mich., July 14 -- Amerigon Incorporated today announced that its proprietary Climate Control Seat(TM) (CCS(TM)) system has been selected by Toyota Motor Corporation to be included as a standard feature in the model year 2005 Toyota Century, a four-door luxury limousine sold primarily in Japan, with some exports to Asian countries. CCS, the automotive market's only system that allows passengers to individually and actively control the heating or cooling of their seats, is integrated into the Century's rear seats to enhance the year round comfort of passengers in this exclusive luxury limousine. CCS is currently being shipped to Toyota and its seat supplier for use in the Century.
The Toyota Century is built in a "nearly hand-made" fashion and is often used by royalty, government leaders and business executives. The Century is the most exclusive of Toyota's complete line of vehicles and it has been designed to provide limousine owners and livery services with a range of comfort-enhancing amenities, including the CCS system, focused on ensuring a pleasurable and luxurious driving experience for rear seat passengers. The system's solid state thermoelectric technology is completely environmentally friendly and uses no CFCs or other substances that are harmful to the environment.
Other Toyota vehicles that also offer the CCS system include the Toyota Celsior, a luxury sedan sold only in Japan, and the Lexus LS 430 luxury sedan sold in the U.S. and Europe.
"The inclusion of CCS in a luxury vehicle such as the Century underscores the value of CCS and our continuing legacy of providing unparalleled rider comfort," said Amerigon President and CEO Daniel R. Coker. "With CCS, passengers in the Century can be assured of a pleasurable riding experience in the heat of summer or the cold of winter. We are very pleased that Toyota continues to believe in the comfort and value enhancing features of CCS and we are proud that CCS has been selected by them for its premier vehicle. We look forward to continuing to work with Toyota for years to come."
About the Climate Control Seat(TM) (CCS(TM)) System
Amerigon's proprietary CCS system significantly enhances individual driver and passenger comfort in virtually all climatic conditions by providing cooling and heating to seat occupants, as desired, using a proprietary solid- state heat pump combined with an active, microprocessor-controlled temperature management system. Ambient air is drawn into the system from the cabin of the vehicle and, based on input from individual seat controls and from temperature sensors built into CCS, the system's advanced heat pump heats or cools the air. The heat pump is built around a highly efficient, solid-state thermoelectric device (TED) that rapidly converts electric current into the desired thermal effect (hot or cold).
About Amerigon
Amerigon designs, develops and markets its proprietary Climate Control Seat(TM) (CCS(TM)) products for sale to automotive and truck original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). CCS enhances individual driver and passenger comfort in virtually all climatic conditions by providing cooling and heating to seat occupants, as desired, through an active thermoelectric-based temperature management system. Amerigon's subsidiary, BSST, is engaged in developing thermoelectric devices (TED) with more efficiency than currently available devices and has development contracts with several customers to expand the market for TED-based automotive and non-automotive products. Amerigon maintains sales and technical support centers in Los Angeles, Detroit, Japan, Germany and England.