Marelli Automotive Lighting
Marelli, a leading mobility technology supplier to the automotive sector, and Hesai Group (NASDAQ: HSAI), a global leader in automotive-grade lidar today announced a collaboration to integrate Marelli's innovative headlamp design with Hesai's next-generation lidar technology.
This unique integration seamlessly blends Hesai's new ATX lidar into Marelli's premium automotive lighting solution providing optimal object detection and enhancing overall vehicle safety, without impacting vehicle aesthetics or aerodynamics, at affordable costs. The ATX lidar is a compact and highly customizable long-range sensor specifically designed for automotive applications. Compared to the previous generation product, the new ATX has achieved a significant volume reduction of nearly 60%, which makes it much easier to integrate into the headlamp.
"Co-creating innovative solutions with our customers or partners is at the core of Marelli's approach to driving the future of mobility. This collaboration with Hesai exemplifies our design-led innovation model perfectly" said David Fan, EVP and President China, Marelli.
"By combining our expertise in headlamp design with Hesai's industry-leading lidar safety technology, we have co-created a truly integrated solution that elevates safety, style and simplifies option management for future vehicles" stated Peter Cao, Head of Marelli Automotive Lighting & Sensing business in APAC.
"The collaboration between Hesai and Marelli signifies a major step forward in the development and adoption of lidar technology for the automotive industry," said David Li, Co-founder, and CEO of Hesai. "This groundbreaking headlamp-lidar integration paves the way for automotive OEMs to improve vehicle safety in a wide range of models by adding powerful lidar technology without sacrificing vehicle design and for a safer future where intelligent driving systems can be offered as part of nearly any vehicle."
Marelli's innovative headlamp design with Hesai lidar integration offers several key advantages:
- Enhanced Safety: The precise positioning of the lidar within the headlamp ensures optimal coverage of the road and surrounding environment, enabling superior object detection and ranging for advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving functionalities. Marelli's new headlamp design is offered in two customized options to meet the diverse preferences of customers, accommodating both cost-effective and luxury car models.
- Seamless Integration: The compact design of the ATX lidar allows for effortless integration within the headlamp unit, maintaining the vehicle's sleek aesthetics and aerodynamic profile while also saving on material costs.
- Improved Performance: The placement of the lidar within the headlamp provides a natural solution for keeping the sensor clean during operation, maximizing sensor performance in all weather conditions. Marelli's new headlamp design both protects the lidar sensor and makes it easier to keep the lidar sensor clean which helps ensure the lidar is in optimal working order to support intelligent driving functions.
- In addition, the solution also ensures affordability and cost competitiveness.
Marelli will be hosting live demonstrations of the new headlamp concept with Hesai lidar integration at the 2024 Beijing Auto show, which runs April 25 - May 4.
Marelli, a leading mobility technology supplier to the automotive sector, will showcase its latest zone control unit (Zone), built in collaboration with Infineon, at the upcoming Auto China show in Beijing.
Marelli Zone Control Units (Zones) are advanced electronic control units, that are placed in specific zones of the vehicle and manage various functions, consolidating electronic control units (ECUs) from multiple domains – including lighting, body, audio, power distribution, propulsion, thermal management, chassis control, and vehicle diagnostics – leveraging Marelli’s industry-leading cross-domain expertise. They form an integral part of the company’s scalable hardware solutions, which revolutionize the concept of software-defined vehicles. These solutions, combined with service-oriented software and cloud virtualization, enable a new era of vehicle customization and personalization. By decoupling hardware and software, Marelli Zones offer unmatched flexibility, scalability, and compatibility with any original equipment manufacturer’s architecture, while also enabling a reduction in hardware complexity and cost.
The adoption of Infineon’s AURIX™ TC4x microcontrollers in the Zones brings significant benefits to OEMs. The special data routing engine (DRE) within Infineon AURIX™ microcontrollers ensures extremely low latency levels when connecting CAN and Ethernet, enabling the Zones to consolidate numerous electronic computing units into a single piece of hardware. This consolidation doesn’t compromise performance, providing a robust foundation for centralized architecture. Additionally, Infineon’s microcontrollers support hardware virtualization, another key element of next-generation zonal architecture, enabling parallel execution of multiple virtual machines and therefore disparate domain and safety applications within the same Zone.
“Marelli and Infineon have a longstanding collaboration, and the joint development of our Zones is yet another significant step forward,” said Nate Sladek, Vice President of Strategy and Product Management within the Electronic Systems division at Marelli. “Thanks to Infineon’s key contribution, Marelli is well-positioned to strengthen its primary role as a partner to OEMs venturing into zonal architectures. This collaboration allows us to offer cutting-edge solutions that enhance the driving experience and build upon our industry-leading position in zonal architectures.”
“Together with innovation drivers like Marelli, we are shaping the mobility of tomorrow. Zone controllers will play a significant role in enabling ECU consolidation, E/E architectures and the software defined vehicle.” said Lars Wemme, Vice President Product Line ADAS, Chassis, E/E architecture at Infineon. “By leveraging the benefits of Infineon’s AURIX™ TC4x microcontrollers, OEMs can achieve greater efficiency in system design, implementation, and operation.”
Visitors to Marelli’s booth at Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, located at W1-W01 in the Temporary Hall, can see the company’s Zone demo and other innovations that support the transition to software-defined vehicles. With a commitment to innovation and engineering excellence, Marelli continues to push boundaries in the mobility technology sector.
Marelli, a leading mobility technology supplier to the automotive sector, will introduce ProConnect, a fully integrated cluster with infotainment and 5G telematics, at Auto China in Beijing. ProConnect is targeted for the China market where many OEMs are integrating cockpit and telematics functions for entry and mid segment vehicles to better balance performance and cost.
Powered by MediaTek’s market-proven MT8675 System on Chip (SoC), ProConnect manages both the instrument cluster and the infotainment system, supporting up to six displays and twelve cameras, while providing 5G Release 15 telematics performance. ProConnect maximizes value for OEMs and end-consumers through the elimination of redundant components with an integrated SoC supporting cluster, IVI (In-Vehicle Infotainment), and TCU (Telematic Control Unit) functions, saving up to 40% compared to traditional architectures.
“We are very excited to collaborate with MediaTek, a leader in integrated telematics, infotainment, and cluster solutions in China, on the development of ProConnect using their Dimensity Auto product lines,” stated Nate Sladek, Vice President of Strategy and Product Management within Electronic Systems division at Marelli. “ProConnect is the next product in our Connect product line where we already have a significant global program award for 4G LeanConnect from a leading automaker. EliteConnect is next on our roadmap which will provide even greater performance but still at a very affordable price.”
“By working closely with Marelli on powering ProConnect, we are drawing from many of our key technologies from a wide range of product categories and tailoring them to deliver a fantastic balance of power efficiency, high performance, speed and reliability in the modern automotive market,” said Mike Chang, Corporate Vice President at MediaTek. “Through this collaboration, we can offer premium safety features, 5G connectivity, comprehensive multimedia packages and more to address the needs of today’s drivers in China.”
ProConnect is the latest technology developed on Marelli’s Pro hardware platform, which targets urban commuters and eco-conscious buyers, and includes the widest feature set across the company’s platform portfolio. Visitors to Marelli’s booth at Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, located at W1-W01 in the Temporary Hall, can see ProConnect and other innovations that drive differentiated vehicle personality and sustainable vehicle performance.
Marelli, a leading mobility technology supplier to the automotive sector, will showcase its latest innovations at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, in booth W1-W01 of the temporary hall, in Beijing, China, April 25 – May 4, 2024. The company will offer an invitation-only, curated experience that will introduce guests to Marelli's approach to Design-Led Innovation. Marelli will showcase its latest technologies, with a particular focus on China market, where the company has a long-standing presence.
Marelli's booth presents a customized journey that follows the phases of the vehicle co-creation process through different areas, where visitors can experience the company's technology approach, know-how and solutions. Firstly, the Co-Creation @Speed area will present Marelli's software-defined vehicle value proposition, showing how the company supports architecture scalability, software portability, zone control standardization, and cloud virtualization. The company's Digital Twin demonstrator will show how Marelli can replicate a vehicle cockpit in the cloud, to accelerate design, testing, simulation, and feature deployment over-the-air.
In the following area, sitting in Marelli's demo car, visitors will experience the company's software-defined interior concept. Built on a centralized architecture and powered by artificial intelligence (AI), the car includes advanced audio and sound zoning, motorized hidden displays and interior components, in-console projection, eco-materials, multi-functional interfaces, a customizable pillar-to-pillar display, and more.
Marelli will showcase lighting and 360° communication technologies including a working demonstration of a LiDAR sensor in a headlamp. Other technologies include the award-winning LASER wire rear lamp that incorporates fiber optics to achieve a unique brand signature, an ultra-high definition microLED module with road projection, a signal lamp, and the latest electronic and light domain control units. The company's LeanLight concept, which debuted at CES 2024 in Las Vegas, NV, USA, features a simplified hardware design, reduced weight, reduced CO2 emissions, and costs less than traditional lighting products.
Technologies designed to promote sustainable vehicle performance will be on display in the Interactive Experience Lab, including Marelli's fully-active electromechanical suspension system, integrated thermal management module, battery cooling plate, smart actuator, double valve smart damping control, and wireless battery management system powered by AI.
"For Marelli, China is a crucial market. We have a solid presence and strong partnerships with Chinese carmakers, demonstrating our technological capabilities and our commitment." said David Fan, EVP and President China of Marelli. "Our design-led innovation and co-creation approach with customers, technology partners and suppliers aims at meeting the differentiated product needs of both international and local carmakers in the Chinese market. The rapid evolution of China's new energy and intelligent vehicle scenario perfectly aligns with Marelli's expertise and strategic interests."
Marelli has developed in China an innovative automotive lighting domain control unit platform, that is able to control vehicles' front lights, rear lights, and all new 360° lighting features. In the future, even more lighting algorithms could be further integrated into this light domain controller. This cutting-edge technology for lighting systems aimed at next-generation vehicles will be showcased at the upcoming Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, from April 25 to May 4, alongside other Marelli advanced technologies.
Whether it's internal combustion engine vehicles or electric vehicles, the automotive lighting control system remains key for enhancing vehicle safety and improving the driving experience. To meet the evolution of new electronic and electrical architectures, Marelli is advancing vehicle lighting control system architecture with a forward-looking approach. The successful mass production of Marelli's light domain controller has been introduced and proved in China's electric vehicles market. On the end node side, Marelli has introduced the "MCU LESS" intelligent driver concept, greatly enabling the opportunity to centralize the whole lighting software into domain ECUs, perfectly supporting the automotive industry's trend toward software-defined vehicle (SDV).
As lighting functions become increasingly independent from dedicated ECUs, the "Software as a Product" (SaaP) concept has reinforced the core role of software in the entire lighting system. Marelli's unique technological approach supports OTA (Over-the-Air) updates and continuous deployment of new features for automotive lighting software, after the vehicle is in production.
Leveraging over 20 years of expertise in automotive lighting electronics, Marelli portfolio includes a comprehensive suite of control unit solutions for automotive lighting, ranging from basic lighting controllers that meet distributed power supply systems, to centralized CAN communication controllers that support adaptive matrix headlamps, to high-definition rendering controllers represented by micro-LED and Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) technologies. This broad portfolio meets customer demands for affordability, quality, and scalability. In particular, the know-how and solutions of the company in terms of high-definition rendering algorithms applied to DMD and micro-LED have already been adopted by several global and Chinese premium brands.
Overall, with its solid software and hardware design foundation, Marelli provides robust support for the design of innovative lighting solutions, in particular in the field of adaptive headlights. Marelli has been leading the industry's development to high-definition adaptive headlight solutions up to 1.3 million pixels, for which the company provides both optical modules and electronic control modules. Also, Marelli has been the first company to apply Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) technology to adaptive headlights.
In China, Marelli has built a complete localized R&D, design, and production system. On the production side, Marelli has devoted production facilities for electronic control units for lighting in Guangzhou and Wuhu. On the R&D side, the company has centers in Shanghai and Wuhu to support the development of lighting control units for Chinese and global market, while also closely collaborating and sharing design resources with design centers in Europe. This enables the company to quickly respond to market demands and provide customers with innovative, efficient and affordable lighting controller system solutions.
Visitors to the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition will have the possibility to see and experience the most advanced Marelli innovations in the lighting field at the company's booth, W1-W01, in the Temporary Hall.
Marelli has unveiled its new Interior Innovation Center (IIC) in Yoshimi, Saitama Prefecture, Japan, picking up the experience of the previous Miyahara location. This integrated facility will be strategic in fostering design-led innovation at speed for the creation of new vehicle interiors solutions aimed at present and next-generation vehicles.
“The establishment of the new innovation center for Interior Experience is an important step for our team.” saidTsukasa Fujii, President of Marelli’s Interior Experience division. “This advanced facility will be key in further enabling innovative value creation with our customers and partners, with a sense of speed.”
The location, that hosts a team of engineers and designers, is implementing three key initiatives inspired by the theme “What’s next? Innovation for the new era”.
The Interior Innovation Center has established a hybrid team structure, integrating interior engineering, electrical engineering, material engineering, and interior design: experts from different fields collaborate, and inspire each other to generate new ideas and solutions.
The Center is an environment focusing specifically on innovation: it is independent from the development and production units, while cooperating effectively with them to enhance creativity.
It applies manufacturing based on “3 Reals Theory” (principle to determine everything based on 3 realities at place, product and situation): equipped with clay modeling facilities, prototype workspaces, and Virtual Reality technology, the Interior Innovation Center creates realistic innovation, taking into account the realization at the actual production lines.
The progress achieved through the new center has already led to the creation of the cockpit concept ‘Digital Detox,’ which was exhibited at CES 2024. Following this concept, the cabin is realized to offer a comfortable ‘living room’ environment, with high-quality and sustainable materials. To ensure a relaxing personalized space, digital screens and buttons, when switched off, can become invisible, concealed under stylish panels or stored under the console. Necessary information is displayed when needed, ensuring a functional and enjoyable experience.
The aim of the Interior Innovation Center is to create next-generation cockpit solutions through the combination of innovative ideas and technologies. To realize this vision, it promotes a series of strategic initiatives.
Firstly, it deepens the collaboration with innovation teams in America, Europe, China, and other Marelli global locations, by conducting workshops and facilitating the exchange of knowledge across borders, bringing together diverse perspectives and technologies.
In addition, it promotes open innovation, as it actively collaborates with OEMs and other industries, aiming to create new value through the fusion of inter-industry technologies and ideas. It also integrates the latest electronic technologies with sustainable material engineering to promote eco-friendly innovation.
Finally, the Interior Innovation Center fosters a culture that encourages creative thinking and experimental challenges, providing an environment where members can freely propose ideas and fearlessly explore new solutions.
Through the fusion of technology and design, global collaboration, open innovation, and a focus on sustainability, Marelli’s Interior Experience team aims to push the boundaries of interior design and technology, creating the next generation of personalized interior experiences.
Frank Huber will join Marelli as Executive Vice President and President Automotive Lighting and Sensing effective March 1, 2024, and will be based in Reutlingen, Germany.
David Slump, President and CEO of Marelli: "I am delighted that Frank is to join Marelli and further strengthen our leadership team. He will lead the ambitious growth plans of Automotive Lighting & Sensing, the largest part of our business, where great opportunities are evolving around vehicle personality."
"After more than eighteen years, Sylvain Dubois will leave the company. This has been a mutual decision and I would like to personally thank Sylvain for his leadership and his valuable contribution to Automotive Lighting & Sensing and Marelli over the years. I am grateful that he will stay on until June 1, to ensure a seamless handover process."
Frank has more than 20 years of experience in the automotive industry and knows the automotive lighting business inside out. He joins from Forvia in France, where he has been President of the global automotive seating business since 2022. Previously, he worked in Germany as CEO of automotive lighting and member of the management board at Hella. At Hella, Frank also held multiple leadership positions in lighting in China, the U.S. and Mexico. Before that, he worked at McKinsey, Audi, Mercedes-AMG and Liebherr Aerospace. Frank holds an Executive MBA from Harvard Business School, U.S., graduated from Stuttgart University, Germany, and holds a PhD in Automotive Engineering.
The company’s LASER and optical fiber rear lamp technology is an industry-first solution pairing a red LASER with rear automotive lighting functionality
Marelli, a leading mobility technology supplier to the automotive sector, was named a CES 2024 Innovation Award Honoree for its Red LASER & Optical Fiber Rear Lamp. Marelli is the first lighting manufacturer to develop and bring to market red LASER technology paired with rear lighting functionality. To produce the lamp, Marelli coupled a red LASER diode with optical sidelight fibers within the LASER. The result is a very thin illuminated line, that gives OEMs the flexibility to create equally unique and stylish brand signatures.
Marelli developed this technology for a German luxury vehicle manufacturer with very specific requirements – to achieve a unique night-time appearance using thin suspended light guides no more than 1 mm in diameter. State-of-the-art light guides could not be used, as they are about 6 mm in diameter, made of plastic, heavier than optical fibers, and not aesthetically suitable for the application. Optical fibers offer more design flexibility in that they can achieve different shapes and curves using light – and guarantee homogeneity – which can’t be achieved with a larger plastic light guide. The decorative fibers occupy very little space while giving the appearance of multiple illuminated lines. The fibers can be considered a standard component that can be reused with different design and position options 360 degrees around the car.
The LASER and optical fiber combination is truly unique in that it supports styling flexibility while also being sustainable, due to its power efficiency and reduced weight. To achieve the same illumination and homogeneity with LEDs as the light source, the power consumption would be three times higher. LASER technology also enables a “speckle effect” along the fibers, resulting in a distinguishing appearance never before seen in a rear lamp.
Marelli will showcase its latest technologies, including the LASER and optical fiber rear lamp at CES 2024 in Las Vegas, NV, January 9-11, 2024, at the Wynn Hotel, Latour Ballroom 5-6.
Marelli is leading the way towards centralized architectures in the automotive industry with its new CCU (Central Computing Unit) and ZIU (Zone Interface Unit). Three large European and Chinese OEMs have already selected Marelli as their partner for the development and manufacturing of these critical components.
This is a demonstration of Marelli's know-how in the field, built on deep multi-domain expertise that spans across body, lighting, sensing, propulsion, ride dynamics, and thermal management hardware and software.
Marelli's acquired business for CCU and ZIU now includes more than 16 million units.
