FORVIA HELLA Develops World's First Front Phygital Shields for BMW iX3
FORVIA HELLA has developed and launched series production of the world’s first Front Phygital Shields for the new all-electric BMW iX3, integrating lighting, styling, and sensors.
2026
What Happened
FORVIA HELLA has developed the world's first Front Phygital Shields for the new all-electric BMW iX3, now in series production. These large-scale, highly integrative modules combine lighting technology, decorative elements, and sensor technology into a single scalable platform. The shields are developed and produced in Ljubljana, Slovenia, the company's global competence center for car body lighting.
- Integration of full-LED headlamps redesigned into a horizontal form
- BMW kidney grilles that are smaller, vertically oriented, and optionally illuminated with Iconic Glow
- Radar sensors with a heated, radar-transparent cover for weather-independent performance
“With our Front Phygital Shields, we address three automotive market trends at once: electromobility, automated driving, and the demand for differentiating lighting solutions. At the same time, we reduce development and front-end assembly complexity for manufacturers.”
Why this matters
This new product category reduces front-end complexity for automakers while enabling distinctive design for electric vehicles, supporting trends in electromobility, automated driving, and customizable lighting.
Terms in This Story
- Front Phygital Shields
- A new product category integrating lighting, design, and sensing into a single front-end module for electric vehicles.
- Neue Klasse
- BMW's name for its new generation of vehicles, starting with the iX3.
- Iconic Glow
- BMW's optional illuminated kidney grille feature.
- Radar-transparent cover
- A cover that allows radar waves to pass through while protecting the sensor from weather and contamination.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.