Marelli and Audi have been honored with the Innovation Partnership Award at the 2025 Automotive News PACE Awards, for their collaboration on the Digital OLED Taillight solution, featured on the 2024 Audi Q6 e-tron. The award was officially presented during a ceremony held on April 15th, in Detroit, Michigan, USA. This celebrates the exceptional partnership of the two companies and their innovative achievements in advancing automotive technology.
The PACE Innovation Partnership Award recognizes carmakers that have made strategic strides in the successful commercialization of innovations developed with suppliers, representing a testament to superior industry partnership and technology excellence. This award underscores the remarkable collaboration between Audi and Marelli, particularly in bringing to market the groundbreaking Digital OLED 2.0 Taillight, which stands as a benchmark for best practices in the global automotive industry, demonstrating how collaborative engagement can lead to pioneering solutions.
The Digital OLED Taillight of the second generation, featured for the first time on the 2024 Audi Q6 e-tron, enables its drivers the freedom to individualize their cars with a choice of up to eight digital light signatures. This is possible via the MMI and, for the first time, via the myAudi app. The digital OLED 2.0 rear lights augment safety functionality and support Audi’s design for new communication methods suitable for vehicle-to-everything (V2X) applications. Proximity indication, a feature familiar to other Audi models, is expanded in the Q6 e-tron to include a communication light. Integrated with the digital OLED rear lights, it warns other road users foresight of accidents and breakdowns by displaying a specific static rear light signature with integrated warning symbols and the regular rear light graphic in critical road situations. This feature aids Audi drivers foresighted and all other road users.
“It’s a great honor for us to share this award with Audi,” stated Frank Huber, President of Marelli’s Lighting business. “This recognition reflects Marelli’s commitment to co-creating impactful innovations with customers and partners. We are proud of our strong collaboration with Audi, which has enabled us to push the boundaries of lighting technologies together.”
The selection process for the PACE Innovation Partnership Award involves an independent panel of judges who conduct a thorough review of all 25 PACE 2025 finalists. Their evaluations focus on identifying partnerships between carmakers and suppliers that exceed typical collaboration standards, highlighting exceptional teamwork that enhances strategic market entry and competitive timing difference in commercializing an innovation.
SOURCE: Marelli
