Press releases
04.06.2025
Marelli and OLEDWorks have received the 2025 “Collaborative partnership of the year” recognition at the AutoTech Awards 2025, for the collaboration on the Audi Q6 e-tron rear light project using the digital OLED 2.0 technology. The Awards recognize the outstanding achievements of individuals and companies who are leading the charge in driving the automotive industry forward. During the award ceremony held on June 3rd in Novi, Michigan, Steve Muench, Head of Marelli's Lighting business North America and Kathleen Miller, Global, Director of Marketing for OLEDWorks, accepted the award on behalf of the entire team.
The “Collaborative partnership of the year” award recognizes automotive suppliers for collaborations that lead to innovative advancements for the automotive industry. It underscores the remarkable collaboration between Marelli and OLEDWorks for AUDI on the groundbreaking Digital OLED 2.0 Taillight, which stands as a benchmark for best practices in the global automotive industry, demonstrating how co-creation and close collaboration can result into pioneering solutions.
Based on Audi’s vision, the cutting-edge digital OLED 2.0 taillamp, featured for the first time on the 2024 Audi Q6 e-tron, is in fact the result of a successful co-creation between Marelli, the customer Audi and OLEDWorks. The product relies on revolutionary, world-first 60-segment digital OLED light panels and connected to domain architecture. The taillamps are gradually turning into exterior displays, making them an important enabler of communication with the car’s surroundings. This, in turn, improves road safety, as impressively demonstrated by the communication light in the digital OLED rear lights. The Q6 e-tron also sets new standards in personalization: with a total of eight optional digital light signatures digital OLED rear lights 2.0, Audi customers can design the look of their Q6 e-tron.
Historically, OLED panels had a maximum of 10 segments per panel and each light component within the vehicle’s architecture was controlled by an individual electronic control unit (ECU) physically residing within the component. The new configuration reduces mechanical parts and space requirements, improves energy efficiency through fewer connections. Moreover, it offers flexible styling, as the direct light source control allows the creation of more animations and signatures in an easy, centralized way.
The individual control of each OLED segment is performed via a CAN-FD communication bus that connects the domain controller to the rear lamp gateway, and the communication speed reaches 1Mb/s. It is the first time that this kind of communication protocol has been used in a rear lamp application. The electronic architecture of the system, along with this high data rate of the communication bus, enables refreshing of each image on the OLED panel every 10ms, or 100Hz. This refresh rate is even higher than that of a standard consumer monitor screen which refreshes at 60Hz.
The Digital OLED Taillight of the second generation, featured for the first time on the 2024 Audi Q6 e-tron, enables its drivers the freedom to individualize their cars with a choice of up to eight digital light signatures. This is possible via the MMI and, for the first time, via the myAudi app. The digital OLED 2.0 rear lights augment safety functionality and support Audi’s design for new communication methods suitable for vehicle-to-everything (V2X) applications. Proximity indication, a feature familiar to other Audi models, is expanded in the Q6 e-tron to include a communication light. Integrated with the digital OLED rear lights, it warns other road users of accidents and breakdowns by displaying a specific static rear light signature with integrated warning symbols and the regular rear light graphic in critical road situations.
“At Marelli, we are dedicated to shaping the future of mobility through advanced lighting solutions, and our partnership with OLEDWorks has exemplified this commitment,” said Frank Huber, President of Marelli’s Lighting business. “By working in close collaboration, we have successfully integrated second-generation Atala OLED technology into automotive applications, delivering a breakthrough in both functionality and aesthetics. The Audi Q6 e-tron showcases the power of digital OLED 2.0 technology, enabling Audi’s vision of enhanced safety features, greater design flexibility, and a new level of personalization for drivers. This achievement underscores the value of true partnership—bringing together deep technological expertise and a shared passion for innovation to push the boundaries of what’s possible in automotive lighting."
“Our partnership with Marelli has been a game-changer in the evolution of automotive lighting. By combining OLEDWorks’ cutting-edge Atala OLED technology with Marelli’s unparalleled expertise in system integration, we have set with Audi a new industry standard for digital lighting.” said David DeJoy, CEO of OLEDWorks “The successful launch of digital OLED 2.0 technology in the Audi Q6 e-tron is a testament to our shared vision of innovation, safety, and design excellence. This collaboration has not only accelerated the adoption of high-segmentation OLED lighting but has also paved the way for the future of digital communication in vehicles. We are incredibly proud of what we have achieved together and look forward to continuing to redefine what’s possible in automotive lighting.”