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