Panasonic Corporation announced today that it will start mass-production of electronic rear-view mirrors in September 2017, the first product jointly developed with Ficosa International S.A., a tier-one supplier of automotive parts and systems in Spain.
In June 2015, Panasonic invested in the Barcelona-based company, which supplies automotive mirrors to a wide variety of carmakers in Europe and other countries, and founded a business partnership between the two companies. Their ties strengthened in July 2017, when Ficosa became a consolidated subsidiary of Panasonic and a key business division of its Automotive & Industrial Systems Company.
Now, the electronic rear-view mirror integrating Ficosa’s mirror technology and Panasonic’s camera and liquid crystal display technologies have been adopted by Toyota Motor Corporation as genuine parts.
The electronic rear-view mirror uses a camera with a wide-angle lens that captures a wide rearward area, offering a wider viewing angle than conventional rear-view mirrors. By installing the camera inside on the rear window, this mirror provides a safer and clearer rearward view that is not obstructed by rear-seat passengers.
Panasonic and Ficoso will continue to step up their collaboration to expand their lineup and sales of jointly developed products for automakers.
Product Features:
1. The wide-angle lens camera provides a wide rearward field of vision and improves visibility.
Using a wide-angle lens camera, the electronic rear-view mirror shows a wider rearward area at a longer distance (horizontal direction) behind the vehicle and improves visibility of hard-to-see areas diagonally behind the vehicle, compared to conventional rear-view mirrors.
(Even electronic rear-view mirrors have blind spots.)
2. The camera installed on the rear window is not obstructed by rear-seat passengers, and reduces blind spots.
By installing the camera inside on the rear window, the electronic rear-view mirror reduces rear blind spots. Unlike conventional rear-view mirrors, this rear-view mirror provides a rearward view, fed by the camera, unobstructed by rear-seat passengers or objects present in the vehicle.
3. The high-sensitivity camera provides a clear view at night or in a tunnel.
The camera with high-sensitivity obtains clear images during nighttime driving or when driving through a tunnel. The camera switches to the nighttime mode in conjunction with the headlight switch and reduces headlight glare seen when using conventional rear-view mirrors.
(Images are for illustrative purposes only; views using the actual product may vary. Pictures are simulations only.)
About Panasonic
Panasonic Corporation is a worldwide leader in the development of diverse electronics technologies and solutions for customers in the consumer electronics, housing, automotive, and B2B businesses. Celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2018, the company has expanded globally and now operates 495 subsidiaries and 91 associated companies worldwide, recording consolidated net sales of 7.343 trillion yen for the year ended March 31, 2017. Committed to pursuing new value through innovation across divisional lines, the company uses its technologies to create a better life and a better world for its customers. To learn more about Panasonic: http://www.panasonic.com/global.
