LG's plastic OLED digital cockpit solution used for Cadillac Escalade

SEOUL -- A plastic OLED digital cockpit solution developed by South Korea's LG Electronics was used for the 2021 version of Cadillac's iconic sport utility vehicle, Escalade, which made its debut this week. It marked the first use of a curved OLED display.

The new Escalade is the first vehicle to feature LG's plastic OLED digital cockpit solution. LG said in a statement on Thursday that it would also supply additional rear-seat infotainment systems to GM's various new vehicles.

A technological advance in electric and self-driving vehicles increases the importance of interior design and the need for differentiated products. Plastic OLED (POLED or P-OLED) for smartphones and cars is an OLED built on polyimide circuit boards and could be bent or rolled up.

LG said the 38-inch display used for Escalade is comprised of three separate P-OLED display panels, the largest one measuring 16.9 inches diagonally.

Three curved screens make up the Instrument panel cluster for displaying basic vehicle-related information and an Integrated central stack that serves as an infotainment display for audio, video and navigation content. Escalade's advanced system includes features such as augmented reality-enabled navigation and night vision.

The wide viewing angle, curvature and bold graphics make P-OLED displays in a production vehicle much more intuitive for drivers, LG said, adding the high degree of flexibility and unmatched thinness of OLED technology is also attractive to premium auto manufacturers.

"Debuting this technology with a storied brand such as Cadillac is not only an honor, it confirms that our automotive solutions are among the best the industry has to offer," said Kim Jin-yong, president of the LG's vehicle component solutions company.

According to market research firm IHS Markit, the global automotive display market is expected to grow from $7.8 billion last year to 10.5 billion by 2023.