FORVIA to premiere 90 mm LED kit and farm seats at EIMA

By Rebecca Stone

FORVIA says its new 90 mm light-emitting diode (LED) lighting kit cuts installation depth by up to 45 percent and increases high-beam luminous efficacy by almost 80 percent at reduced energy consumption. FORVIA HELLA will give the kit its world premiere at EIMA International in Bologna, Nov. 10-14, 2026.

FORVIA compares the installation-depth and efficacy gains with equivalent third-generation FORVIA HELLA Bi-LED modules and reports module weights up to 70 percent below equivalent solutions. New optics allow precise illumination in a smaller package, while the module integrates low-beam and high-beam functions.

FORVIA positions the EIMA presentation as an integrated portfolio spanning lighting, seating and electronics. FORVIA HELLA contributes more than 50 years of off-highway experience, while FORVIA Seating brings more than 110 years of seating expertise from commercial-vehicle and passenger-car applications.

What changes for equipment manufacturers?

The lighting kit serves as a direct 1:1 replacement for existing 90 mm halogen units. FORVIA HELLA retains the mounting points and interfaces, which the company says allows manufacturers to adopt LED without additional development work. It cites more than 30 years of experience with 90 mm modules and worldwide homologation (regulatory approval) covering ECE, SAE, CCC and India.

Stefan van Dalen, Managing Director Lifecycle Solutions at FORVIA HELLA, said: “Lighting technology in the off-highway and commercial vehicle market has long been more than a safety component. It is a direct lever for greater machine efficiency and improved operator comfort.”

He also said manufacturers can implement the change without changing a single mounting point. FORVIA describes the product as its most compact LED lighting module with integrated low-beam and high-beam functions, a design choice aimed at the confined spaces of modern agricultural machinery.

What does the seating debut mean for farm machines?

FORVIA Seating will show agricultural and other off-highway seating systems at EIMA for the first time. The company says the segment has received little of its integrated expertise in advanced safety, comfort and ergonomics.

Sebastien Limousin, Executive Vice President FORVIA Seating, said: “The fact that we have already commenced series production of an agricultural seat for a leading US agricultural machinery manufacturer confirms our conviction.”

Limousin said the expansion advances the FORVIA Group's IGNITE strategy, which targets faster growth in commercial-vehicle and off-highway business. He also said the seating gives manufacturers better safety, comfort and ergonomics.

How do the electronics reduce machinery risk?

FORVIA HELLA will display position-sensing, machine-diagnostics, energy-management and climate-control electronics. Its Contactless Inductive Position Sensor (CIPOS) uses a magnetless, rare-earth-free sensing principle that the company says addresses tightening US raw-material regulations.

The portfolio also includes a patented Structural Monitoring Sensor for early detection of bearing and machine damage. A high-voltage direct-current-to-direct-current (DC/DC) converter provides stable power in electrified machinery, while an extended rain-light sensor detects humidity and dew point to support proactive anti-fogging in enclosed cabs.

FORVIA positions these components as building blocks for connected, automated and resilient machinery platforms. For manufacturers, the selling point extends beyond the individual sensor to the operational data and power management that farm machines require.

What will determine the commercial impact?

FORVIA plans to start pre-series production of the lighting kit by the end of 2026 and launch series production in spring 2027. The announcement does not disclose prices, order volumes or expected savings in energy and repair costs. It also provides no test conditions, sample sizes or independent field results for the performance figures, so equipment buyers must distinguish supplier specifications from demonstrated operating economics.

A separate market-research notice lists a TrendForce report on 2026 global automotive LED lighting and display trends. It offers a 160-page PDF dated June 30, 2026, plus Excel releases dated June 30, 2026, and Dec. 31, 2026, in Traditional Chinese and English.

Watch for manufacturer pricing as series production approaches in spring 2027; that will show what FORVIA's claims mean for equipment costs and farm margins.