BMW 3 Series now Offers Gentex High-Beam Assist

ZEELAND, Mich., Dec. 5, 2006 -- Gentex Corporation, the leading supplier of automatic-dimming rearview mirrors to the worldwide automotive industry, has announced that it is supplying its SmartBeam high- beam assist feature to BMW for the 2007 model year 3 Series.

SmartBeam uses a miniature camera-on-a-chip combined with algorithmic decision making to automatically turn a vehicle's high-beams on and off according to surrounding traffic conditions. The system is designed to maximize a vehicle's forward lighting and to eliminate the repetitive and sometimes burdensome task of turning the high beams on and off.

Currently, SmartBeam-equipped 3 Series vehicles are available in Europe and other select regions around the world. BMW refers to SmartBeam as High- Beam Assist, or the German translation, Fernlichtassistent, in its brochures and sales literature. The feature is available in conjunction with Xenon headlamps.

Gentex is currently shipping SmartBeam to three automakers for 12 different vehicle models worldwide, including the BMW 5, 6 and 7 Series. The SmartBeam camera and microprocessor are integrated into a Gentex automatic- dimming rearview mirror, which detects glare from rearward-approaching vehicles and dims automatically to protect driver vision and make nighttime driving safer. The mirrors also include a built-in compass display.

"Studies show that high-beams are one of the most underutilized safety features on vehicles today," said Gentex Chairman and CEO Fred Bauer. "In fact, just this past April, the University of Michigan Transportation Institute released a report showing that North American drivers use their high-beams less than 25 percent of the time in which conditions justify their use. SmartBeam is designed to optimize high-beam usage, which helps drivers identify potential roadway hazards sooner."

A study completed this past July by the TUV Rheinland Group, an international service company that documents the safety and quality of new and existing products, systems and services, revealed that drivers not only appreciate the safety benefits a high-beam assist system would deliver, but also its comfort and convenience aspects.

The study surveyed drivers in Germany and the United Kingdom, a majority of whom felt that a high-beam assist system would ease the burden on the driver by maximizing forward vision while eliminating the fear of blinding oncoming traffic. Drivers also felt that a high-beam assist system would be much more convenient than manual high-beam switching.

"There are a lot of new, high-priced vehicle features that solve problems drivers never knew they had," said Bauer. "SmartBeam, however, is a relatively low-priced feature that comes with built-in latent demand. Drivers around the world appreciate the need for high-beam headlamp automation."