Contact Information: FINANCIAL MEDIA AND INVESTOR CONTACT: Connie Hamblin 616/772-1800 GENERAL MEDIA CONTACT: Craig Piersma 616/772-1800 WEBSITE: www.gentex.com
Toyota Offers Gentex SmartBeam(R) High-Beam Assist on New Crossover
| Source: Gentex
ZEELAND, MI--(Marketwire - November 11, 2008) - Gentex Corporation (NASDAQ : GNTX ), the leading
supplier of automatic-dimming rearview mirrors to the worldwide automotive
industry, has announced that it is shipping auto-dimming mirrors with
advanced electronic features for the all-new Toyota Venza crossover sedan.
The Venza, sold exclusively in North America beginning in late 2008, will
offer Gentex's SmartBeam® High-Beam Headlamp Assist Technology as part of
Toyota's High-Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamp package. SmartBeam uses
a miniature camera-on-a-chip combined with algorithmic decision making 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. Toyota refers to
SmartBeam as an "Automatic High Beam headlight system."
An interior auto-dimming mirror with a compass display is standard on all
Venza models. The compass feature utilizes Gentex's proprietary Z-Nav®
technology, a highly-accurate sensor that determines the vehicle's
directional heading. Gentex mirrors darken automatically in response to
the headlamp glare of rearward-approaching vehicles.
"The Venza is the first Toyota vehicle to adopt our SmartBeam technology,"
said Gentex Senior Vice President Enoch Jen. "We're excited that Toyota
recognizes the value of our SmartBeam feature that further enhances driver
safety, comfort and convenience, and that it is bringing the technology to
its North American customers."
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 97 percent of the
Company's revenues are derived from the sale of auto-dimming mirrors to
nearly every major automaker in the world.