"Tame the Dark" Using Valeo's Xenon Lighting

PARIS, October 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Valeo is promoting safer roads, with Xenon lighting, the only technology currently available that is capable of improving night vision on a very wide range of vehicles. Accidents are three times more frequent at night, and it is therefore vital to use the best available lighting technology. The light produced by Xenon lamps, which is similar to daylight, offers optimal visibility. One survey* concluded that if all vehicles were equipped with Xenon lighting, the number of deaths on the road at night could be cut by 18%.

Xenon low beams have a range of 110 meters, compared with 80 meters offered by conventional technologies, that is a gain of 30%. This gain jumps to up to 44% with Xenon bending lights.

Xenon lighting does not just contribute to increasing road safety: it saves up to 50% of electricity compared to Halogen lighting, or 1.3g of CO2 per kilometer. Its bluish tint and visible lens offers designers great styling freedom, and the bulbs last as long as the vehicle itself.

Valeo is taking the opportunity offered by the Paris Motor Show to communicate extensively on the safety benefits of this technology that are not yet widely known in France. There is a special Xenon exhibit on the booth to help visitors to fully appreciate the advantages of this technology for night driving. A "Tame the Dark" competition will be launched on Valeo's website, www.valeo.com, as of October 4, when the show opens its doors to the general public.

Valeo is an independent industrial Group fully focused on the design, production and sale of components, integrated systems and modules for cars and trucks. Valeo ranks among the world's top automotive suppliers. The Group has 122 plants, 61 R&D centers, 9 distribution centers and employs 59,700 people in 28 countries worldwide.

*carried out in Germany in 2007, by TÜV Rheinland (an independent German body certifying the safety and quality of products, systems and services).

http://www.valeo.com

For all additional information, please contact: Claire Vidal Pilo, Product and Technology Media Relations, Tel.: +33-1-40-55-21-26, claire.vidal-pilo@valeo.com; Sylvie Delion, Product and Technology Media Relations, Tel: +33-1-40-55-20-96, sylvie.delion@valeo.com