Automotive OLEDs: introduction and industry news

LG Electronics introduced a new showcase for its automotive display technologies, the Digital Cockpit gamma. This concept demonstrator is equipped with LG’s most sophisticated vehicle technologies and features three modular solutions: the Vision Display, Intelligent Human-Machine Interface (HMI) and Connectivity & Content.

The Vision Display concept utilizes LGD's latest OLED displays to "adapt seamlessly to dynamic environments". As part of this concept, LGD includes a 12.3" transparent OLED display, and a 14.2" rollable flexible OLED that can be retracted when not in use.

Lotus launched its 2025 Eletre R electric SUV, that has a 15.1" 2560x1600 750 nits AMOLED display, produced by Everdisplay (EDO). The display is the car's center multimedia display.

The Eletre R offers a 905hp electric engine, that can accelerate from 0-100Kmh in 2,95 seconds. The car has a range of 400-450 Km.

In this article, we examine the theoretical question of whether or not it makes sense for LG Display and Samsung Display to merge, into one company.

Note that we have no indications that such a merger is even considered by the two companies, but we feel this is a fascinating topic that should be explored, and is supported by several strong arguments.

We'll start with a short introduction to the two companies, then see why there are many reasons to pursue a merger, then explain the reasons against a possible merger, and finally detail the current financial situations of both companies.

Samsung Display and LG Display

Samsung Display Corporation (SDC) is a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics. SDC is a leader in OLED production, with a market share of over 40% in the small OLED display market (the second largest player, BOE, holds a market share of around 15%). SDC produces over 300 million AMOLED displays per year - supplying them to Apple's iPhones and tablets, Samsung Electronics Galaxy phones, and many more. The Company also produces larger-area QD-OLED panels for TVs and gaming monitors, and has a capacity of producing around a million TV panels per year. SDC no longer produces any LCDs. SDC does produce microLED displays (but on a very small scale, this is currently a strictly next-gen display technology), and the company develops OLED microdisplays (and also holds OLED microdisplay producer eMagin which it acquired in 2023 for $243 million).

Samsung Display has decided to build a new OLED module production line in Vietnam, mostly to produce automotive OLED modules and IT OLED modules.

The new production line will be built in Yen Phong industrial park in Bac Ninh province east of Hanoi, close to an existing Samsung Electronics plant. It is understood that the Vietnamese government will provide support for Samsung's new line, which will cost a total of around $1.8 billion.

Last month China-based Voyah announced a new international all-electric SUV called the Zhiyin, that includes several innovative technologies. The taillights of the car are OLED lighting based, with 33 individually controlled OLED units on both the upper and lower sections, creating unique light patterns. We assumed that Yeolight is the OLED panel supplier, and indeed now the company confirmed that.

In addition to the OLED taillights, the Zhiyin will also an AMOLED display - a "curved sliding screen" that can "slide to accommodate different user needs". While this is not confirmed, we assume that this is a similar display to the one Hongqi just revealed yesterday - a sliding rollable 14.2" AMOLED panel produced by Visionox.

China's Hongqi launched its latest luxury executive sedan, the Guoya (国雅), as part of the Hongqi Golden Sunflower series. The model was previously known as the HongqiL1.

The Hongqi Guoya adopts a 14.2" rollable (sliding) AMOLED display for the center multimedia display. This is the first time such an automotive sliding AMOLED display is produced commercially (and the only second rollable screen following LG's 2020 rollable 65" OLED TV which is now discontinued). The AMOLED display is produced by Visionox, and we know that it adopts an Ultra-Thin-Glass cover. Visionox says that the display weights less than 250 grams, and it has been tested for over 200,000 cycles. 

Audi unveiled its latest Q5 and SQ5 SUVs (2025 model). Both new cars adopt OLED lighting taillights and two AMOLED displays inside the car.

The OLED taillights utilize Audi's second-generation digital OLED solutions, and has six digital OLED lighting 'panels' made from 266 separate lighting segments. Audi says that the new OLED taillights can communicate with the vehicle’s immediate surroundings (Car-to-X) - for example it warns other road users of accidents and breakdowns in the road ahead. The OLED panels and technology are provided by OLEDWorks.

China-based Voyah announced that it will launch an international all-electric SUV called the Zhiyin next month. The Zhiyin was specifically developed for the global market, with two distinct front-end designs and several innovative technologies.

The Zhiyin will sport customizable OLED taillights, consisting of 33 individually controlled OLED units on both the upper and lower sections, creating unique light patterns. It is not clear whether this is optional, or whether it will come standard in all of the Zhiyin models. We assume that Yeolight is the OLED panel supplier, but we're not 100% sure.

LG Display is showing its latest OLED displays at the K-Display 2024 trade show, in Seoul. You can see LG's large-area OLED TVs, gaming monitors, automotive OLEDs and more.

All of these displays have been shown before, but this video is still a nice demonstration of LGD's latest OLED technologies.

China-based EV maker Zeekr introduced the 2024 Zeekr 009 model, a 4/6/7 seater MPV. The new model has two OLED displays: a 15.05" 2.5K flexible OLED main front screen, and a 17" 90Hz 3K ceiling-mounted passenger screen. The 15.05" OLED display seems to be the same display used in the 2024 Zeekr 001 model.

The 2024 Zeekr 009 will feature several seating options, NAPPA leather seats with headrest speakers, ventilation, heating and massage functions, exclusive lounge-chair mode, 30-speaker sound system and high performance - it reach go from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds and has a driving range of up to 740Km. Zeekr plans to start delivering the all-new Zeekr 009 to customers in China next week, starting at 439,000 RMB (around $60,000).