Contact Information: FINANCIAL MEDIA AND INVESTOR CONTACT: Connie Hamblin 616/772-1800 GENERAL MEDIA CONTACT: Craig Piersma 616/772-1800 WEBSITE: www.gentex.com
Multiple Gentex Mirror-Based Features on New Lexus
| Source: Gentex
ZEELAND, MI--(Marketwire - April 16, 2009) - Gentex Corporation (NASDAQ : GNTX ), the Zeeland,
Michigan-based manufacturer of automatic-dimming rearview mirrors and
commercial fire protection products, announced today that it is shipping a
number of different auto-dimming mirror variations for the 2010 Lexus RX.
The Company's newest technologies, including SmartBeam® and its Rear
Camera Display (RCD) Mirror, are available on the new luxury utility
vehicle. The RX 350 is available in North America, Europe, Japan, and
China. The RX 450h, the hybrid version of the 350, is available in some of
these markets.
In addition to a base interior auto-dimming mirror, the new RX offers
Gentex driver- and passenger-side exterior auto-dimming mirrors; a compass
utilizing Gentex's proprietary Z-Nav® technology, a highly-accurate
sensor that is designed to determine the vehicle's directional heading;
Automatic High-Beam (which Gentex markets as SmartBeam), the intelligent
high-beam headlamp assist feature; and the RCD Mirror as stand-alone
options or as part of multiple RX packages.
The RCD Mirror contains a liquid crystal display (LCD) that works with a
video camera mounted at the rear of the vehicle to provide a view directly
behind the vehicle while backing up. When the vehicle is shifted into
"reverse," a 2.4-inch LCD display appears automatically through the
auto-dimming mirror's reflective surface. The display disappears when the
vehicle is shifted into any other gear. The capability for the display to
appear through the mirror's surface is made possible by Gentex's
"transflective" coating and lighting techniques, which result in a bright,
high-resolution color image. The RCD Mirror option is available on the RX
model on a global basis.
SmartBeam High-Beam Headlamp Assist technology is available in two
variations to accommodate Bi-HID and Halogen high-beam headlamps. SmartBeam
uses a miniature camera-on-a-chip combined with algorithmic decision making
designed to automatically turn a vehicle's high beams on and off according
to surrounding traffic conditions. The system is designed to maximize a
vehicle's forward lighting and to eliminate the repetitive and sometimes
burdensome task of turning the high beams on and off. The SmartBeam option
is available on the RX models in North America.
"The new Lexus RX is the most highly contented vehicle program for which
Gentex is currently shipping product," said Enoch Jen, Gentex Senior Vice
President. "The Company's newest and most sophisticated technologies,
coupled with our market-leading auto-dimming feature, are being offered on
a global scale through this one program. Working with Lexus engineers,
Gentex was able to develop technologies that meet varying global
requirements and consumer expectations."
Founded in 1974, Gentex Corporation (NASDAQ : GNTX ) is an international
company that provides high-quality products to the worldwide automotive
industry and North American fire protection market. Based in Zeeland,
Michigan, the Company develops, manufactures and markets interior and
exterior automatic-dimming automotive rearview mirrors that utilize
proprietary electrochromic technology to dim in proportion to the amount of
headlight glare from trailing vehicle headlamps. Many of the mirrors are
sold with advanced electronic features, and more than 96 percent of the
Company's revenues are derived from the sale of auto-dimming mirrors to
nearly every major automaker in the world.