The US automotive equipment supplier, the Donnelly Corporation, has won new business commitments from the manufacturer of a new European luxury vehicle.
Included in the order are sophisticated auto-d…
The US automotive equipment supplier, the Donnelly Corporation, has won new business commitments from the manufacturer of a new European luxury vehicle. Included in the order are sophisticated auto-dimming interior mirrors and overhead trim components that are integrated with advanced optical lighting, all of which are designed by Donnelly. Production, worth more than US$ 200 million, will begin in April 1998 with overhead consoles, rear reading lamps and interior mirrors for the vehicle. The overhead consoles have four optically precise lights integrated into the units that provide directed light with little or no spillover glare. If specified, the consoles will also include a fully integrated sunroof switch. The rear reading module also has two lights that use precision optics to direct light to the rear seat. Donnelly will also supply all the interior mirrors for the vehicle, most of which will be Donnelly“s patented electrochromic mirrors. Donnelly designed the electronics for both the mirror and the overhead console, and claims to be the first automotive supplier to produce an interior mirror capable of functioning as a communications node for a vehicle“s electronics system. In essence, the electronics that control a number of different passenger comfort and safety functions have been integrated into the rear-view mirror.