Gentex's SmartBeam(R) Technology to Debut on Three BMW Models

ZEELAND, Mich., July 20 -- Gentex Corporation , the leading supplier of automatic-dimming rearview mirrors to the worldwide automotive industry, today announced that the Company's SmartBeam(R) high-beam headlamp assist technology will be offered starting this fall on the BMW 5 Series, 6 Series and 7 Series models. This is the first time any type of high-beam headlamp assist system has ever been offered by a European automobile manufacturer or in markets outside of North America.

"We are very pleased to be able to launch SmartBeam in markets outside of North America, with a premier, engineering-driven company like BMW," said Gentex Executive Vice President Garth Deur. "SmartBeam is a complex product, but because of the common vehicle electrical systems utilized by BMW, they are able to introduce SmartBeam concurrently on a number of new vehicle models."

Gentex is best known for its automatic-dimming rearview mirrors, which automatically darken to reduce glare from the headlamps of vehicles approaching from the rear. The brighter the glare, the darker the mirrors become, making nighttime driving safer. Gentex mirrors often come integrated with additional electronic features, such as SmartBeam. SmartBeam uses a miniature camera-on-a-chip to maximize forward lighting by automatically turning on the vehicle's high beams according to surrounding traffic conditions. If it's dark enough and no other traffic is present, SmartBeam will automatically turn on your high beams. The system returns the headlamps to their low-beam intensity when detecting either the headlamps or taillamps of other vehicles.

SmartBeam, which BMW calls "High-Beam Assist", will be introduced on the BMW 5, 6 and 7 Series in the fall in Europe and other selected regions, and will be offered in conjunction with Xenon headlamps.

"High-beams are probably the most underutilized safety feature on vehicles today," said Deur. "SmartBeam optimizes forward lighting by automating high- beam usage. It's perhaps the simplest and most cost-effective way to substantially upgrade vehicle lighting systems."

SmartBeam debuted in the North American market in the 2005 model year. In April 2005, Gentex won an Automotive News PACE (Premier Automotive Suppliers' Contribution to Excellence) Award, in recognition of the SmartBeam invention. The PACE Awards were started 11 years ago to recognize premier automotive suppliers for their contributions to innovation, technological advancement and business performance. In addition, SmartBeam was also recognized as one of Popular Science magazine's "Best of What's New" Technologies in November 2004.

Founded in 1974, Gentex Corporation is an international company that provides high-quality products to the worldwide automotive industry and North American fire protection market. Based in Zeeland, Michigan, the Company develops, manufactures and markets interior and exterior automatic-dimming automotive rearview mirrors that utilize proprietary electrochromic technology to dim in proportion to the amount of headlight glare from trailing vehicle headlamps. Many of the mirrors are sold with advanced electronic features, and approximately 95 percent of the Company's revenues are derived from the sales of auto-dimming mirrors to nearly every major automaker in the world.