Hyundai Mobis has formed a four-party alliance with global leading corporations to preempt the next-generation in-vehicle display market.
Hyundai Mobis said on the 3rd that it launched a "quad alliance" for mass production of a holographic windshield display (HWD) with European specialty companies that each hold leading technologies in the field.
The development alliance brings together ZEISS of Germany, which has world-class optical technology; tesa of Germany, a global leading corporation in tape adhesion; and Saint-Gobain Sekurit of France, Europe's No. 1 automotive glass manufacturer.
HWD is an innovative technology that uses the front windshield as an extra-large display without a separate physical screen, allowing drivers to check driving information without diverting their gaze. Using a special HOE film that employs optical elements, it precisely delivers various driving information and infotainment images to the eye positions of the driver and passenger.
HOE achieves a high light transmittance of over 92%—on par with clear glass—and an overwhelming brightness of over 10,000 nits (nit, about twice that of outdoor LED billboards), providing clear image quality even in bright daylight. Leveraging the optical characteristics of HOE, the driver cannot see the passenger-side screen, allowing the passenger to safely enjoy various infotainment such as video viewing and games even while driving.
In 2024, Hyundai Mobis drew industry attention by leading ZEISS, a global optical corporation, into its first entry into the mobility market through an exclusive collaboration. Building on the technological maturity accumulated with ZEISS, Hyundai Mobis plans to expand the collaboration ecosystem to four companies and push for the practical commercialization of HWD by 2029.
Through this four-party alliance, Hyundai Mobis will oversee the overall system of HWD and the design and production of the projector that projects images, based on its capabilities in in-vehicle interface solutions. ZEISS will design the HOE film to maximize screen clarity and visibility, tesa will mass-replicate this high-function film, and Sekurit will handle the precise process of bonding the film to the windshield glass.
This technology collaboration is meaningful in that it has established a one-stop supply chain solution covering everything from the technical design of HWD to parts production and assembly. Hyundai Mobis' strategy is to secure both mass-production quality and reliability by proactively establishing a supply chain ecosystem in addition to its leading technological capabilities.
Jung Su-gyeong, head of the electronics BU at Hyundai Mobis, said, "Through this technology, a core technology that opens the future of in-vehicle displays, we will provide differentiated value to our clients," adding, "We will work closely with our global partners through the mass-production phase to maximize our technological competitiveness and solidify our image as a leader in innovative technology in the global market."