New Magna Litgate tech turns body panels into lights
New innovation could see car-makers bid farewell to traditional tail-lightsAutomotive supplier Magna has unveiled new technology dubbed Litgate that allows light to be projected through black plastic and even body panels, paving the way for more radical car designs.
The technology, which could one day see car-makers delete traditional tail-lights from their production vehicles, is demonstrated in a new video released on Magna’s social channels.
In the video, the supplier reveals what it describes as a “thermo plastic liftgate” that contains hidden-until-lit light elements.
The functional lights for the brake, side, reverse and indicator lights are obscured behind a gloss black polycarbonate screen, which can also include multiple light bars and even an illuminated ‘Magna’ badge.
Far more impressive, though, is what lurks beneath the black plastic in the lower half of the red-painted tailgate.
Claimed to use something called a ‘laser ablation’, Magna has developed new lighting tech that can suddenly see a body panel become a light source.
Said to be capable of projecting a “multitude of colours” through a painted finish, Magna stresses that, for now, the laser ablation lighting technique is strictly “non-functional” and merely used for decorative affect.
That suggests it doesn’t yet conform to current lighting regs in most major markets, but it’s thought the technique hasn’t been ruled out for future use once the regulatory obstacles have been overcome.
Magna says the Litgate tech was developed using current vehicle architecture, indicating that it could be introduced into production models in the near future.
The Canadian supplier has also confirmed that its tech would be ready for use from 2023.
Magna hopes Litgate will not only help save car-makers billions in developing tail-lights, but that it will improve safety.
“As the industry builds significant momentum around electrified and autonomous vehicles, we expect more desire for developments like this that are seamlessly integrated into exterior surfaces,” said Magna president Grahame Burrow.
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