Lancia Ypsilon’s light chalice shines with Röhm's PLEXIGLAS Optical HT

The automotive design world is buzzing with excitement as the shift to electric powertrains inspires brands to reimagine their identities. Lighting, in particular, has become a symbol of this transformation.

Lancia, the iconic Italian brand now under the Stellantis umbrella, is leading the charge. The brand’s next-generation Lancia Ypsilon, unveiled in Milan in February 2024, marks the beginning of Lancia’s electric renaissance with a striking new lighting design.

Gone is the traditional chrome-plated grille, replaced by a sleek reinterpretation of Lancia’s signature chalice, or “Calice.” This distinctive motif features three razor-like light strips—two horizontal lines converging into a vertical one—that serve as daytime running lights and transform into the brand’s unmistakable front signature at night.

Lancia Ypsilon from Stellantis.

According to Lancia CEO Luca Napolitano, this light chalice will adorn the front of the brand’s next three models, symbolizing its commitment to electromobility.

At the heart of this innovative design are the 50 cm horizontal LED light guides—a highly desirable feature in state-of-the-art automotive design, crafted from PLEXIGLAS Optical HT by Röhm. This polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) molding compound is specifically engineered for automotive lighting, offering exceptional optical clarity and heat resistance. Its excellent processing capabilities make it ideal for manufacturing exceptionally long and slim components through injection molding.

PLEXIGLAS Optical HT, the polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) molding compound from Röhm, is specifically engineered for automotive lighting, offering exceptional optical clarity and heat resistance.

Rafal Czoków, Senior Business Manager at Röhm, explains that the material was developed to withstand high long-term service temperatures while maintaining its optical properties, making it ideal for long light guides. Miroslav Havlásek, Program Manager at Magna Lighting, highlights the material’s dual advantages: “Unlike many conventional materials that excel in either optical performance or heat resistance, but PLEXIGLAS Optical HT delivers both.”

The Lancia Ypsilon’s exterior design reflects the brand’s “evolutionary Italian futurism,” a concept first introduced in the Pu+Ra concept vehicle. It embodies this philosophy with its elegant, clean, simple, perfectly suited for the electric future.