FORVIA HELLA receives orders worth two billions from leading US car manufacturer

Forvia Hella provides the digital Smart Car Access system for highly integrative Front Phygital Shields in the American region.

USA-Forvia Hella, an automotive supplier has received several major orders from a leading US car manufacturer. This includes various projects for both electronics and lighting. In total, the order intake amounts to over two billion euros. The customer projects will be launched within the next two to four years in the Mexican production network of FORVIA HELLA.

Mr. Bernard Schäferbarthold, CEO, Forvia Hella, said, "The successfully acquired customer projects are further proof that we are strategically well positioned and are addressing key automotive market trends with our technology portfolio. Above all, the orders also emphasize our central strategic orientation of consistently expanding our business share in the regions outside Europe. Europe is and remains a key sales market for us. At the same time, however, we want to and must diversify our international business and thus further balance the business shares between the respective regions. The newly acquired series projects are another important step in this direction."

The digital Smart Car Access system based on ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, end users can open and close the car completely hands-free and start the engine without having to pick up their smartphone. The UWB technology protects the vehicle against relay attacks by means of high-precision runtime measurement, i.e. the opening of a vehicle by radio extension. In addition to localization via UWB, this project also uses Bluetooth Channel Sounding for short-range communication – a new BTLE technology standard that also supports the localization of a smartphone or smart key on the basis of intelligent algorithms. The second electronics order is a large-volume package for lighting electronics, the largest single order in this product group to date.

In addition, from the Business Group Lighting, FORVIA HELLA will bring the first ever Front Phygital Shield into series production in the American region. The Front Phygital Shield – a highly integrated module for the front of the vehicle – comprises both mechanical-structural as well as complex design surfaces. The illuminated logo that characterizes the brand and other lighting functions, including welcome and goodbye animations, are integrated into this. The Front Phygital Shield is 1.8 meters long in total and therefore covers the entire width of the front of the vehicle. The additional lighting projects for which FORVIA HELLA has now been nominated include a combination of slim LED headlamps and an illuminated radiator grille, as well as series orders for rear combination lamps and fog lamps.