Back in June, Hyundai Mobis announced that it has succeeded in developing the ‘Lighting Grille’ and now some rumors said that the IONIQ 6 could be the first model to premiere it. Our colleagues at NYMammoth made this recreation of how it could look.
What we know so far?
These technologies are new technologies that have not yet been mass-produced worldwide, and are evaluated as differentiated research achievements in line with the changing trends in electric vehicles and autonomous vehicles. It is expected to use in an era of automobiles that communicate more actively with the outside world through these technologies.
Recently, as electric vehicles become popular, existing car grille are also being tried to change into different forms through lighting applications, sound systems, and displays. The technologies developed this time by Hyundai Mobis are also part of an effort to preempt new technologies in preparation for such changes in future car technology.
First of all, the ‘Lighting Grille’ developed by Hyundai Mobis this time is a technology that can utilize the entire front grille of a vehicle as a lighting device. These are the examples of the uses: ▲ Autonomous driving mode ▲ EV charging mode ▲ Welcome light function ▲ Sound beat display ▲ Emergency warning light display, etc.
Through this, it can be used not only as a simple lighting effect, but as a means for vehicles to communicate with other vehicles or pedestrians, and depending on how a lighting pattern is applied, a strong and unique design effect can be exhibited.
Some recreations show the possibilities of the lightning grille
At the beginning of this year, Hyundai Mobis completed the development of lighting grill technology and is currently conducting reliability verification for commercialization. From next year, the company plans to promote mass production through customer promotions.
The ‘grille-integrated active air flap’ technology developed by Hyundai Mobis automatically controls the air flow of driving wind for engine and motor cooling as the grille itself moves according to the coolant temperature, and also utilizes a lighting function. By improving the heating efficiency of the vehicle and reducing air resistance, fuel efficiency can be improved, as well as a sense of luxury in the exterior design of the vehicle through differentiated design patterns through lighting.
“We plan to continuously introduce innovative products that combine technological perfection with emotional quality to the global market in response to changes in future car trends,” said Woo-il Lee, head of Hyundai Mobis’ Module Lab.
Last year, Hyundai Mobis developed the world’s first virtual engine sound system using an electric vehicle grille. When this technology is applied to a vehicle, it can be used not only as a virtual engine sound, but also as a turn signal sound, an electric vehicle charging notification sound, and a music playback speaker during camping.
