Car body illumination 

Exterior accent and signature lighting for modern vehicles 

Car body illumination solutions for advanced exterior lighting and illuminated vehicle accents 

Car body illumination comprises all lighting systems that highlight exterior vehicle surfaces, contours and trim elements. These solutions include illuminated logos, grille lighting, contour and trim lighting, license plate illumination and specialized signaling for automated driving functions. ams OSRAM provides compact, robust and visually uniform LED technologies tailored specifically for these exterior automotive applications. As personalization, brand identity and expressive exterior design gain importance, illuminated trim elements enable OEMs to create distinctive light signatures and differentiate vehicles visually. ams OSRAM supports these trends with high-efficiency LEDs, flexible form factors and reliable automotive-grade performance. 

What is car body illumination? 

Car body illumination comprises all lighting systems that highlight exterior vehicle surfaces, contours and trim elements. These solutions include illuminated logos, grille lighting, contour and trim lighting, license plate illumination and specialized signaling for automated driving functions. ams OSRAM provides compact, robust and visually uniform LED technologies tailored specifically for these exterior automotive applications. As personalization, brand identity and expressive exterior design gain importance, illuminated trim elements enable OEMs to create distinctive light signatures and differentiate vehicles visually. ams OSRAM supports these trends with high-efficiency LEDs, flexible form factors and reliable automotive-grade performance. 

Technology overview: LEDs and LED-on-foil

Most applications rely on white LEDs for contour or license plate lighting, while colored LEDs support branding or regulated signals such as cyan ADS indicators. High reliability, color stability and compact footprints are essential.

LED‑on‑foil technology enables ultra‑thin, flexible and homogeneous lighting on curved vehicle surfaces, offering expanded design opportunities. Additional details are available on the LED‑on‑foil page.

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Design aspects for car body illumination

Car body lighting needs to integrate into tight spaces and withstand demanding environments. Compact LEDs allow discreet placement in grilles, emblems or trims. Homogeneous light output is important for continuous lines or illuminated badges. LED‑on‑foil supports slim solutions on complex shapes. ADS indicators must remain clearly visible from different angles, leading to placement in mirrors, bumpers or lamp modules. 

FAQ: Below are some of the most common questions about car body illumination 

What is the difference between car body illumination and ISD?

Car body illumination focuses on illumination effects or simple symbols such as illuminated brand logos. It does not display dynamic content or high‑resolution information. Intelligent signal displays function as display units with higher resolution and the ability to show variable messages. For more information on ISD refer to our intelligent signal display page.

What is the difference between a grille car body illumination and a daytime running light?

 A daytime running light is a regulated safety function with defined operating conditions and is often subject to regulatory requirements. Grille illumination mainly serves aesthetic purposes, has different functional requirements and may not operate continuously. Both functions can rely on similar LEDs. For more information on DRL refer to our daytime running lights page.

Standard What are autonomous driving system indicators (ADS) and which color is used there?

ADS indicators are regulated signals that show when a vehicle is operating in autonomous mode. They use a defined cyan color specified by regulation.

Ausgewählte Produkte

OSRAM SYNIOS™ P2222, KB DDLN31.13

The SYNIOS™ P2222 is the new standard mid-power LED for Automotive Signaling applications. It features a small package outline and is available in all application-specific colors.
Details und Datenblätter

OSRAM SYNIOS™ P2222, KW DDLN31.SK

The SYNIOS™ P2222 is the new standard mid-power LED for Automotive Signaling applications. It features a small package outline and is available in all application-specific colors.
Details und Datenblätter

OSRAM SYNIOS™ P2720, KW DMLQ33.SG

KW DMLQ33.SG is part of the SYNIOS P2720 family. Given the scalability of this product family, it provides full performance and flexibility with just one footprint. With its improved homogeneity it is meant to provide superior light quality for most application conditions.
Details und Datenblätter

OSRAM SYNIOS™ P2720, KR DMLQ31.FR

This compact LED device is part of the SYNIOS P2720 family. Given the scalability of this product family, it provides full performance and flexibility with just one footprint. The KR DMLQ31.FR product is meant to provide superior light quality in ½ mm² chip size class.
Details und Datenblätter

OSRAM SYNIOS™ P2720, KY DMLN31.FY

This compact LED device is part of the SYNIOS P2720 family. Given the scalability of this product family, it provides full performance and flexibility with just one footprint. The KY DMLN31.FY product is meant to provide superior light quality in ¼ mm² chip size class.
Details und Datenblätter

OSRAM SYNIOS™ P2720, KR DMLN31.23

This compact LED device is part of the SYNIOS P2720 family. Given the scalability of this product family, it provides full performance and flexibility with just one footprint. The KR DMLN31.23 product is meant to provide superior light quality in ¼ mm² chip size class.
Details und Datenblätter
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