LG Electronics Subsidiary ZKW Collaborates with German Auto Parts Company to Create New 'Face' for Electric Vehicles

Development of 'Intelligent Vehicle Front End' Integrating Lighting and Sensors

ZKW, LG Electronics' automotive lighting subsidiary, is partnering with Germany's Rehau Automotive to develop 'intelligent vehicle fronts' that integrate lighting, sensors, and more. The design aims to minimize seams on the vehicle front, enhancing aesthetics while ensuring safety against frontal collisions.

ZKW announced on the 11th that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Rehau Automotive for the joint development of advanced lighting system-integrated vehicle fronts.

Rehau Automotive specializes in interior and exterior materials and bumpers. It is a subsidiary of the Rehau Group, which leads in polymer and other high-molecular compound technologies, developing raw materials and system windows.

From the left, Wilhelm Stegger, CEO of ZKW, and Markus Distelhoff, CEO of Rehau Automotive, are taking a commemorative photo after signing a business agreement. / Photo by ZKW

Through this collaboration, ZKW and Rehau Automotive will implement an integrated system combining various front-end electronic components such as lighting, sensors, and electronic devices with exterior materials like bumpers.

The two companies plan to reinterpret components such as bumpers and headlamps for electric vehicle fronts that do not require radiator grilles, creating a unified design for the vehicle front. The minimized seams on the vehicle front will establish lighting, logos, and sensors as key design elements that are both minimalistic and distinctive. They also aim to enhance safety to protect occupants in the event of frontal collisions.

Wilhelm Steiger, CEO of ZKW, said, "We will combine ZKW's world-class lighting solutions with Rehau Automotive's expertise in vehicle interior and exterior materials," adding, "We will present an integrated solution that offers a customer experience on a different level."

A part of the front vehicle concept design developed by ZKW and REHAU Automotive /
[Photo by ZKW]

ZKW, acquired by LG Electronics in 2018, possesses advanced technology in the automotive headlamp sector, a core lighting component. Its customers include premium automakers such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and Porsche.

LG Electronics is expanding its presence in the global automotive parts market through three core businesses: ZKW's automotive lighting systems, the VS Business Division's vehicle infotainment systems, and the electric vehicle powertrain from LG Magna e-Powertrain, a joint venture handling electric powertrains.