Omdia analysis reveals automotive market expanding OLED displays technology

The OLED market continues to grow given its practical use in many applications, such as TVs, smartphones, wearables, laptops, automotive displays and lighting solutions. We take a closer look at the use of OLED in the automotive market.

SDC was the first panel supplier to mass-produce rigid OLEDs for automakers and aspired to drive market expansion, especially in China and Europe. After many years of progress, more car models are now adopting rigid OLEDs. In 2018, SDC’s rigid OLEDs were adopted for the Audi e-tron and A8 models’ side-mirror displays (7 inches) and RSE controllers (5.7 inches). In 2020, Panasonic introduced a 10.3-inch rigid OLED center stack display to the Japanese market.

In June 2022, Li Auto debuted its brand-new flagship SUV, the Li Auto L9. The model is equipped with a dual 15.7-inch rigid OLED for a co-driver display and another 15.7-inch OLED screen on the roof. Continental also announced the production of its first large order of rigid OLED displays—combining a 12.x-inch and a 14.x-inch rigid OLED with a curved cover lens—in 2023. SDC will also supply circular 13.x-inch OLED displays to a European carmaker from 2024.

Today, SDC is no longer the only rigid OLED supplier in the market; Chinese manufacturer EDO has joined its ranks. Geely’s Lotus Eletre model is equipped with a 15.1-inch OLED touchscreen for its center console; EDO will produce the panels at its Gen 6 fab.

Figure 1: Rigid OLEDs for automotive

Source: Panasonic, Li Auto, Geely, and Continental

At SID 2022, LG Display showcased a 34-inch single automotive OLED panel at its booth, which Hyundai Mobis adopted to illustrate its ultra-large movable screen concept. Hyundai Mobis’ 34-inch multi-curved screen is made with 6K high-resolution OLED panels and can be adjusted up and down. US carmakers can also use this display for their EVs.

LG Display is the first panel maker to supply flexible OLEDs for automotive applications. The company has adopted a tandem, two-layer RGB stack structure to improve its panels’ lifetime and reliability. Many luxury cars, including the Cadillac by General Motors (GM) and Mercedes-Benz’s models, have adopted LG Display’s panels. Meanwhile, starting this year, BOE will mass-produce 12.8-inch center stack displays for NIO ET7. Rising Auto also works with BOE, and its R7 model uses a 15.05-inch OLED center stack display. BOE is expected to ship more flexible OLEDs to several Chinese EV makers from its B12 OLED fab in 2023.

However, for instrument cluster displays, only GM’s Cadillac Escalade is using OLEDs; other car models still use TFT LCDs. For example, the 10.25-inch instrument cluster and 12.3-inch passenger displays in Rising Auto’s R7 model are using Mini LED direct backlight local dimming solutions to yield a picture quality as seamless as that of an OLED display.

Figure 2: Flexible OLEDs for automotive

Notes: * refers to photo taken by Omdia analyst Alex Kang at SID 2022

Source: Omdia, GM, Mercedes-Benz, NIO Auto, and Rising Auto

Figure 3: AMOLED automotive panel shipments by application, 2021–28 (thousand units)

Because many new car models will adopt rigid OLEDs, Omdia has revised its rigid OLED shipment forecast. We expect shipments to grow from 120,000 units in 2022 to 4.3 million units in 2029. By 2027, rigid OLED shipments will surpass that of flexible OLEDs. Single-layer rigid OLEDs have a better cost structure than two-layer (tandem RGB) flexible OLEDs. Yet, flexible OLEDs will see more uptake among luxury models owing to better reliability.