New forms of shared mobility, the electric vehicle, the autonomous car, digitalisation, and connectivity come with new needs regarding car interior lighting. It must enable driving safely, relaxing comfortably, living, or working inside the vehicle. It must also be more personal and customizable, using different sensors and technologies.
Today’s status with the 4 targets of interior lighting:
• Interior lighting as brand identifier and differentiator
Automakers want to distinguish their cars from the cars of the competitors, from interior lighting as they have done in exterior design with special front grilles, logos, rims, body and window shapes, DRL and rear lamps.
• Interior lighting for safety, information, communication
Interior lighting changes from static lamps to dynamic lighting systems. A complementary mix of displays and dynamic interior lighting functions increase the safety of the occupants by more information and communication and intuitive perceptible light warning signals.
• Personalization and Psychology of Interior Lighting
Consumer demand is developing for personalised light colours and automatic brightness adaption for a more distinctive and feel-good zone in the car interior.
• Technology and market aspects for interior lighting
LED lighting becomes digitised, has a very high power efficiency, and we’re seeing rapid innovations in heat management with new technologies and materials and decreasing prices. The number and complexity of light elements in the car interior will increase, as the number of LEDs for interior lighting which would go toward the several-hundred and beyond.