Ferrari has claimed a prime spot in the lobby of Samsung Display’s headquarters. This exclusive showcase highlights Samsung Display’s organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels, which are featured in Ferrari’s groundbreaking all-electric vehicle, the Luce.
Samsung Display has leveraged its precision engineering and design expertise, honed through smartphone production, to create distinctive interior designs for luxury vehicles. This has positioned the company as a key player in the automotive OLED market.
Luce to Supply Four OLED Types, Bringing Analog Sensibility to Digital Screens
According to industry sources on Tuesday, Ferrari Korea is exhibiting the Luce and its key display components in the lobby of Samsung Display’s Yongin headquarters from today through September 23. This event celebrates the technological partnership that resulted in Samsung Display’s exclusive supply of four OLED variants for the Luce.
The exhibition space features a vibrant Ferrari vehicle. Large electronic displays and eye-catching yellow signage prominently showcase the Ferrari Luce branding, while a dedicated Samsung Display exhibition area is set up adjacent to the vehicle. This layout allows visitors to visually appreciate the synergy between the two companies, with automotive and display technologies presented side by side.
In April 2023, Samsung Display and Ferrari inked a memorandum of understanding to develop next-generation automotive displays. Samsung Display is set to participate in Ferrari’s exclusive customer event, Finali Mondiali, in 2024, where it will showcase its advanced OLED technology, further solidifying their partnership.
This collaboration has culminated in Samsung Display’s exclusive supply of four OLED types for the Luce. The driver’s instrument cluster incorporates 12.9-inch and 12-inch displays, while the central control panel features a 10.1-inch display. The rear seat control panel is equipped with a 6.3-inch display. These screens manage everything from critical driving information to climate control and media systems.
The driver’s instrument cluster stands out as a technological marvel. It ingeniously layers two OLED screens, with the upper screen featuring three circular perforations that reveal tick marks and information from the lower screen. Between these screens, actual moving needles are positioned, creating a hybrid design that maintains the clarity of digital displays while capturing the depth and dimensionality of traditional automotive gauges.
This innovative design is made possible by a technique called ‘big hole’ processing, which creates large openings in the screen. The Luce’s instrument cluster boasts holes approximately 100 mm in diameter, a significant leap from the 5 mm camera holes Samsung Display implemented in smartphone screens in 2019. The design incorporates sophisticated engineering to prevent moisture and air infiltration through the cut surfaces while minimizing signal distortion and delays caused by electrical pathways rerouting around the perforations.
Growing Chinese Share of Automotive Market Drives Push for Customized OLEDs
The Ferrari collaboration underscores the advantages of OLED technology in automotive applications. OLEDs, which don’t require separate backlighting, can be produced in thin, curved, or irregular shapes. This flexibility aligns perfectly with luxury automakers’ goals of implementing distinctive brand designs within confined interior spaces.
Samsung Display is expanding the applications of this processing technology. At the recent Korea Display Industry Exhibition, the company unveiled a prototype that seamlessly integrated a gear shift dial and air conditioning vents into perforations in an OLED screen. They also showcased an innovative vertical slider screen that can expand up to 15.5 inches when needed, offering new possibilities for space utilization in vehicle interiors.
Chinese manufacturers currently dominate the automotive display market. Market research firm Omdia projects that in the second half of this year, Chinese panel makers will account for 65.2% of automotive liquid crystal display (LCD) and OLED display shipments, a significant increase from 59.0% in the first half.
Samsung Display’s supply relationship with Ferrari is expected to serve as a powerful testament to its technical prowess when pursuing other automotive clients. The ability to collaboratively design instrument cluster structures from the conceptual stage can be a key differentiator in the luxury vehicle market.
An industry insider noted that the automotive display sector is evolving beyond mere panel supply. The ability to realize automakers’ specific design visions and functional requirements is becoming increasingly crucial. Experience in supplying customized OLEDs to premium brands like Ferrari can be a significant advantage in expanding the footprint in the high-end automotive market.