Continental wins billion-euro order for OLED displays

Technology company Continental has won its first major order for OLED displays (Organic Light Emitting Diodes) in a production vehicle from a global vehicle manufacturer, with a total order volume of around 1 billion euros (Rs 8,267 crore). Continental, however, has not revealed the specific OEM, possibly due to NDA agreement.

Continental’s multi-display stretches from the driver’s area to the centre console and integrates two screens, which are optically bonded behind a curved glass surface. Production of the display solution is scheduled to start in 2023. 

“With the OLED technology in our multi-display solution, home movie enthusiasts now also have the full experience in cars. Our OLED display once again demonstrates that we are pioneers in the digital evolution of the cockpit,” says Ulrich Luders, head of Strategy and Portfolio at Continental’s Human Machine Interface business unit. “The integrated OLED display ensures a first-class user experience and offers automotive manufacturers a further opportunity for differentiation and individualisation.”

Design freedom with OLED tech
Among other things, OLED technology delivers an aesthetically appealing user experience because it’s self-illuminating. This means that no backlighting is required, in contrast to conventional LCD displays, which results in extremely lightweight and flat units, and significantly increases design freedom thanks to the compact dimensions. The technology also allows for more complex shapes and curved installation of the display. The screen’s slim bezel rounds off the overall visual package and creates a satisfying appearance.

The OLED display also impresses with its brilliant deep black background, which increases contrast and improves readability. In addition, organic LEDs offer a very wide range of colors, making them the ideal basis for high-quality, user-friendly content. Thanks to OLED, contrast and color diversity are consistent over a very wide viewing angle of almost 180 degrees without loss, which makes the display in the center console particularly attractive for passengers. 

Energy saving and sustainable
Thanks to the self-illuminating property of the organic LEDs, the OLED display is extremely sustainable and energy-saving. Instead of the entire backlighting of conventional screens, OLED technology only ever illuminates the pixels required for the currently relevant information to human-machine interaction. As a result, the OLED solution consumes much less energy than a comparable LCD screen for typical automotive content, reducing energy requirements.