Lite-On Technology Corp (光寶科技) yesterday showcased its series of LED products for automobiles at a trade show in Taipei.
The electronic parts maker, established in 1975, has seen its LED products spread to a wider range of applications, such as autos, “smart” home appliances and wearable devices.
“The LED market is still very competitive, with an annual growth rate of 3 to 4 percent,” Lite-On optoelectronics product solution president Rex Chuang (莊遠平) told reporters.
“LED lighting used in autos has seen growth of double-digit percentages every year. This is a very important application,” Chuang said.
The strong growth in LED lighting for autos is evidenced by a 20 percent annual increase from Lite-On’s optoelectronics business group last month.
The group contributed 26 percent of the firm’s NT$19.1 billion (US$625 million) total sales.
The rise of electric and hybrid vehicles has helped expedite the replacement of LED lighting for legacy light sources, Lite-On said.
Last year, Lite-On and its subsidiaries generated NT$10 billion from LED products used in automobiles, it said.
Four or five years ago, Lite-On only supplied LEDs for car dash boards and interior lighting, but in the past three years, it has expanded its product lineup to automotive headlights and rear lights.
Lite-On also attributed its robust growth to increasing consumption of LEDs in rear automotive lights.
Consumption rises by 15 percent to 20 percent when the rear light design is complicated, it said.
Increased use of LED lighting is expected to helped Lite-On hit its target of doubling its share of the global car headlight market to 20 percent by next year.
Lite-On has orders from the world’s top five auto light manufacturers to supply head lights and rear lights, the company said earlier this year.
The company yesterday displayed a full range of its LED lighting for autos, including daytime running lights, fog lights and brake lights as well as headlights for cars, trucks and motorcycles.
Lite-On shares edged up 0.38 percent to NT$52.5 yesterday in Taipei trading, out-performing the TAIEX, which lost 0.15 percent.
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