Climate Control Seat Featured in 2003 Infiniti M45 Performance Sedan
IRWINDALE, Calif., Oct. 10, 2002; Amerigon Incorporated announced today that its Climate Control Seat(TM) (CCS(TM)) system is currently shipping as an optional feature in the all-new 2003 Infiniti M45 performance sedan, which is now available in dealer showrooms.
The M45 is the first vehicle made by Nissan, the second luxury vehicle made by a Japanese manufacturer and the seventh overall to include CCS as either an optional or standard feature. CCS is the only system on the market that allows the driver and front seat passenger to heat and cool their seats individually for year-round personal comfort.
The all-new M45 is a significant addition to the mid-sized luxury sedan class. It comes standard with V8 performance and premium amenities, with a price competitive with other competitors' 6-cylinder models. CCS is offered as part of the premium equipment package for the M45, which also includes the Infiniti Voice Recognition system.
Oscar (Bud) Marx, Amerigon Chairman and CEO commented, "The M45 provides a broad array of luxury features normally only available in the high-end luxury vehicles. The interior was designed to optimize comfort for both the driver and passengers, making a luxury statement in subtle ways, and placing a priority on progressive technology. We believe CCS was chosen because of its distinctiveness and innovation and will contribute to the success of this new addition to the Infiniti family."
Other optional features offered in the M45 include Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC), which uses lasers to sense vehicles ahead and adjust speed to maintain a selected distance, a tire pressure monitor and memory seats.
About the Climate Control Seat (CCS)
The proprietary CCS system, which is integrated into a vehicle seat, is the first system of its kind. It significantly enhances individual driver and passenger comfort in virtually all climatic conditions by providing cooling and heating to seat occupants, as desired, using a proprietary, solid-state heat pump combined with an active, microprocessor-controlled temperature management system.
Ambient air is drawn into the system from the cabin of the vehicle and, based on seat occupant inputs from individual seat controls, as well as inputs from temperature sensors built into CCS, the system's advanced design heat pump heats or cools the air. The heat pump, which uses no CFCs or other environmentally sensitive coolants, is built around a highly efficient, solid- state Thermoelectric Device (TED) that rapidly converts electric current into the desired thermal effect (hot or cold). The "conditioned" air is circulated through the seat surfaces by a specially designed, DC fan mounted into the structure of each seat, cooling or heating each seat and its occupant to individually preferred levels of all seasons' comfort.
The seat system provides temperatures ranging from 125 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees C) for warming and 50 degrees (10 degrees C) for cooling. The system is completely independent, not connected to the vehicle's heating or air conditioning systems and does not draw any power from the engine.
About Amerigon
Amerigon, headquartered in Irwindale, CA, develops, manufactures and markets proprietary high technology products for automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). The Company's Climate Control Seat(TM) (CCS(TM)) significantly enhances individual driver and passenger comfort in virtually all climatic conditions by providing cooling and heating to seat occupants, as desired, through an active, thermoelectric-based temperature management system. Amerigon maintains sales and technical support centers in Detroit, Japan and Germany.
