---

Mirror, Mirror on the ... Windshield; Rearview Mirror Becoming the Portal for the Wired Vehicle

25 July 2000

Mirror, Mirror on the ... Windshield; Rearview Mirror Becoming the Portal for the Wired Vehicle

    ZEELAND, Mich. - Soon you'll be able to make phone calls, read your e-mail, 
make hotel reservations and check the weather -- all by talking to your car's 
rearview mirror.  As the information age merges with the auto industry, 
automakers are increasingly looking to the rearview mirror to house the 
electronics necessary to link the vehicle to the digital world.

    "Rearview mirrors are an excellent location to house hands-free
microphones, antennas, global positioning system (GPS) receivers, wireless
modems, microprocessors, user interfaces and various displays," said Ken La
Grand, executive vice president of Gentex Corporation, a company that develops
and manufactures advanced-feature automatic-dimming rearview mirrors.
"Automakers are really beginning to use the mirror as an integral electronic
module."

    And with good reason.  Because of their position on the windshield, these
telematics mirrors, as they're often called, have an excellent view of the
sky, and consequently are a great location for antennas, wireless modems and
receivers.  Automakers also like them because they can be installed across
different vehicle platforms in a consistent location without redesigning
instrument panels and overhead consoles, which already are crowded with
features.  Locating electronic features in the rearview mirror is also
becoming more popular because the driver can view and interact with them while
keeping his or her natural line of site on the road ahead.

    Gentex is currently developing and manufacturing telematics mirrors for a
variety of automotive manufacturers, some of which can already be found in
vehicles on the road today.

    "We already have mirrors with GPS system interfaces, cell phones,
microphones, emergency notification systems and the like on 14 vehicle models
in North America," said La Grand.  "Advances in wireless technology and voice
recognition systems will open even more doors as we seek to create the
ultimate telematics mirror."

    La Grand believes the mirror may soon act as the portal to the outside
world.  For instance, he says that in the near future you'll be able to
potentially plug a laptop into a vehicle that will access the Internet via a
wireless modem located in the rearview mirror.

    "It's inevitable -- technology and new electronic devices will continue to
infiltrate the automobile.  But automakers certainly don't want to redesign
the car every time a new feature comes along.  The rearview mirror is a
flexible, changeable electronic module that lets automakers merge vehicles
with the digital age while offering consumers high quality, cost-effective
telematics systems that can be operated safely and easily."

    Gentex Corporation is an international company that
provides high-quality products to the worldwide automotive industry and North
American fire protection market.  The Company develops, manufactures and
markets proprietary electro-optic products, including interior and exterior
electrochromic, automatic-dimming Night Vision Safety(TM) (NVS(R)) automotive
rearview mirrors that dim in proportion to the amount of headlight glare from
trailing vehicle headlamps, and an extensive line of fire protection products
for commercial applications.

    Gentex was the first company in the world to successfully develop and
produce a commercial electrochromic mirror for the motor vehicle industry.
The Company is the leading supplier of these mirrors to the worldwide
automotive industry.  Gentex OEM customers include Audi, Bentley, BMW, Daewoo,
DaimlerChrysler, Fiat, Ford, General Motors, Hyundai, Infiniti, Kia Motors,
Lexus, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opel, Porsche, Rover, Rolls Royce and Toyota.
Gentex aftermarket/distributor customers include Gulf States Toyota
Distributors, Mito Corporation, Southeast Toyota Distributors, Subaru
Distributors NE and Toyota Motor Sales USA.

    Founded in 1974, Gentex operates out of four facilities in Zeeland,
Michigan; an automotive sales office in Livonia, Michigan; automotive sales
and engineering subsidiaries in Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and France;
and four regional U.S. sales offices for the Fire Protection Products Group.
The Company is recognized for its quality products, its application of world
class manufacturing principles, for its commitment to developing and
maintaining a highly skilled workforce, and for encouraging employee ownership
of the Company's stock.