OLED is a light-emitting technology used to create thin, efficient and flexible displays and lighting panels. OLEDs are useful in many applications, such as TVs, smartphones, wearables, laptops - and also automotive displays and lighting solutions.

Mercedes EQE 350 2022, interior photo

Where can you OLEDs in cars?

There are several possible (and existing!) applications for OLED displays and lighting systems in cars:

  • Dashboard displays (instrument clusters, navigation, media, HVAC...)
  • Heads up displays
  • Internal lighting
  • External lighting (tail lights, turn indicators)
  • Digital rear-view internal mirrors
  • And more application we cannot think about today!

    OLED displays for cars today

    Several car models already use OLED displays today. Simple PMOLED displays have been adopted by automotive makers for many years, for example the Lexus 2010 RX for example has a white OLED display, supplementing the main 8" display.

    Starting in 2021, automotive makers started to also adopt AMOLED displays in premium cars. The 2021 Mercedes S-Class for example comes standard with a 12.8-inch OLED, and the 2021 Cadillac Escalade sports a large 38-inch LGD P-OLED display (made from several displays).

    2021 Cadillac Escalade OLED display photo

    We expect this trend to continue, as OLED makers such as LGD, SDC, BOE and others accelerate automotive AMOLED development.

    OLED lighting in cars

    The automotive market is one of the most interesting markets for OLED lighting, and many believe this will be one of the first markets to adopt the next generation lighting technology. In 2016 Audi unveiled the 2016 TT RS, which sports optional OLED taillights - the first commercial car to sport the new lighting technology. Since then several models from Audi, BMW, Hongqi, Mercedes and others have adopted OLED lighting panels.

    OLED-Info's Automotive OLEDs Market Report

    If you're interested in this market, check out our market report on Automotive OLEDs. The report discusses the current OLED display and lighting automotive markets, with a complete list of OLED display and lighting makers that are involved with the automotive market, with personal contact details. Our market report is updated quarterly.

    The OLED Automotive Market Report explains:

    • What kind of OLED displays are currently adopted in cars
    • Why OLED lighting is exciting for car makers
    • The future of Automotive OLED display
    • OLED concepts and forecasts by BMW, Audi and others

    Read more here!

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    The latest automotive OLED news:

    LG Display demonstrated its 30" and 77" transparent OLED displays for the first time

    LG Display is demonstrating its new 30" and 77" transparent OLED displays for the first time, at the company's booth at K-Display 2023, in Seoul, Korea.

    Credit: LG Display

    The new 30" transparent OLED offers HD resolution, while the 77" panel offers 4K resolution. All of LG's latest transparent OLED displays offer 45% transparency. LG showed its entire range of T-OLED displays in a coffee shop setting, in partnership with Starbucks.

    Read the full story Posted: Aug 18,2023

    Audi unveils its second-gen OLED lighting taillights, to be adopted in the 2024 Q6 e-tron

    Audi unveiled the upcoming 2024 Audi Q6 e-tron, with its second-gen OLED taillight technology. The new taillight lighting system use a total of 360 individual OLED panels built into 6 different lighting panels (each made from 60 OLED panels, or segments as Audi calls them), and is able to show warnings and signals to other drivers. The OLEDs are likely produced by OLEDWorks, like all of Audi's recent OLED panels.

    Audi will ship the cars with 8 pre-configured digital light signatures, and customers will be able to add their personal light signatures using the myAudi app. 

    Read the full story Posted: Jul 27,2023

    The Mini Cooper 2025 to sport a round 9.4-inch AMOLED display produced by Samsung

    MIni Cooper unveiled the interior design of its upcoming 2025 model, with a large round OLED display (this same display was shown a year ago in a Mini concept car design).

    The display is 9.4" in size, and is produced by Samsung Display. Mini Cooper developed its own unique software, called Mini Operating System 9, complete with several experience modes that control  the complete interface and Mini's new personal assistant dog called Spike.

    Read the full story Posted: Jul 27,2023

    Omdia: the automotive OLED market is set to grow to $2.17 billion in revenues by 2027

    According to market research firm Omdia, the OLED automotive displays market is set to grow to $2.17 billion in 2027, up from $481.75 in 2023 (that's a 4.5X growth in sales). In terms of shipments, the market will reach 9 million units in 2027, up from 1.48 million in 2023 (a 7X growth). 

    Omdia is actually more optimistic about the automotive market than it was last year, as the industry is growing faster than expected. There is a rapid uptake of AMOLED displays in premium cars, as the displays offer a better image quality, lower power consumption and lower weight compared to LCDs, which is all very important for electric cars. 

    Read the full story Posted: Jul 23,2023

    Business Korea: the upcoming Genesis GV80 will use a 27-inch AMOLED display produced by LG Display

    According to a new report from Business Korea, the upcoming new version of the GV80 Hyundai Motor's Genesis car will adopt a large OLED display, the first car by Hyundai to use an OLED as the main display. The GV80 will use a 27" P-OLED display produced by LG Display, that will be used to connect the instrument cluster and the navigation and audio-system center console The GV80 will be introduced before the end of 2023.

    Genesis logo

    LG Display was one of the first companies to identify the automotive industry as a potential market for its AMOLED displays. LGD is already supplying OLED panels to several companies including Mercedes and Cadillac. In 2021 it was estimated that LGD holds a market share of over 90% in automotive AMOLEDs, and the company is now considering building a dedicated AMOLED production line for automotive displays.

    Read the full story Posted: Jul 05,2023

    The MicroLED Industry Association to host an automotive microLED display webinar

    On September 4th the MicroLED Industry Association will host a private webinar on automotive displays and technologies. The automotive market represents a very good segment for display developers, as it offers high performance requirements and the ability to adopt premium solutions. Many analysts believe that this market will be one of the first ones to adopt microLED technologies (together with the AR/VR and wearables markets).

    Mercedes EQE 350 2022, interior photo

    During the webinar, we will look at current solutions and future roadmaps, learn how the automotive industry looks at display solutions and next-generation technologies and see how microLEDs could find a market in the automotive industry.

    The upcoming Seminar will feature three world-leading speakers, and will also be open to a Q&A session, to help increase microLED developers knowledge and involvement in the automotive industry:

    Read the full story Posted: Jun 29,2023

    AUO may close down its AFPD OLED fab in Singapore as it focuses on microLED for next-gen wearable and automotive displays

    AU Optronics has a 4.5-Gen AMOLED production line in Singapore, active since around 2013. The AFPD line is a small-scale operation, and AUO never managed to expand its capacity and compete with large AMOLED producers.

    According to a report from Japan, AUO is now considering closing down the AFPD line, and converting it to microLED R&D production line. It could move it back to Taiwan, or retain Singapore as a hub for AUO in Southeast Asia. The company will make a final decision, it seems, in early 2024.

    Read the full story Posted: Jun 22,2023

    DSCC: OLED panel revenues to decline in 2023, in a second consecutive year

    DSCC says that OLED panel revenues will decline 7% in 2023 (to $38.9 billion), the second consecutive year that the OLED market is seeing a decline in sales. The largest declines will be in the OLED TVs and laptops segments.

    The OLED smartphone market will actually grow 4% in unit sales, but revenues will decline 5%. The OLED TV market will decline 29% in 2023 in both revenues and units. OLED laptop unit sales will decline by 15%. All other segments, including AR/VR, automotive and tablets, will grow in sales and revenues in 2023. 

    Read the full story Posted: Jun 21,2023