Premier German Automaker Gets Advanced Lighting Tech from Osram

Osram has proven its worth a number of times in the automotive world. This time, it is supplying the tail lights of all-new BMW M4 GTS with its revolutionary Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) technology. The beauty of these organic area light sources is that they take up extremely little space, opening up design options that automakers have dreamed about.

In a statement, Hans-Joachim Schwabe, CEO Specialty Lighting at Osram, said that their OLEDs in the tail lights of the BMW M4 GTS make them the first company to have the new technology on the road in a production vehicle. “Yet again we are demonstrating our pioneering role in the automotive sector.”

As the official lighting system supplier for the BMW M4 GTS, Osram is demonstrating once again that it is a technology and innovation leader. Along with tail light specialist odelo, it has developed the first-ever automotive OLED lighting for a production vehicle.

According to Muhammet Yildiz, CEO at odelo Group, it has been an extremely intense collaboration with Osram and they are proud that they have finished this project for BMW successfully. He added that this project once again demonstrates their innovational strength.

The fanlike OLEDs in the tail light on the production vehicle stress the flatness of the light source and act as a design highlight, specifically when viewed slightly from the side. Splitting the OLED area in two free-form segments enabled the atypical wishes of the lighting designers at BMW to be fulfilled. Aside from their cutting-edge design, the new tail lights provide impressive functionality. With 15 OLEDs per tail light and a brightness of 1.200 cd/m2, they ensure optimum visibility on the road and execute all the rear light functions.

The thin layers of an OLED have organic materials, which are enclosed by flat electrodes serving as the electrical contacts. When power is supplied, photons are generated in the layers, causing the diode to emit light. Given that OLEDs produce light in extremely thin layers, they are perfectly suitable for flexible lighting solutions. For instance, 3D effects can be developed by segmentation, or simply put, the close arrangement of switchable light surfaces next to one another. The feasibility of controlling inpidual light modules separately opens up even more design options such as dynamic functionality. Apart from providing plenty of design flexibility, OLED technology consumes little energy, which greatly benefits the automotive industry.