Proprietary Heated/Cooled Seat System Highlighted as Technology for the Future
in Cadillac STS Demonstration Vehicle at International Automotive Engineering
                                  Conference

    DEARBORN, Mich., April 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Amerigon Incorporated
(Nasdaq: ARGN) today announced that its proprietary Climate Control Seat(TM)
(CCS(TM)) system was one of a select group of advanced technologies featured
by General Motors during its opening day presentation at the SAE 2005 World
Congress, an international automotive trade conference at Cobo Arena in
Detroit that runs through April 14.  The CCS system is among the innovations
included in a specially equipped Cadillac STS SAE 100 Technology Integration
Vehicle featured during the General Motors technology "wheel" presentation for
the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) on Monday and currently on display
for the remainder of the conference at the AVL Technology Theater in Cobo
Hall.
    The "wheel" presentation consists of a wheel stand display next to the
Cadillac STS that describes the vehicle, its components and the various
component technologies.  A seven-minute video accompanies the presentation
that consists of overall vehicle information, driving demonstrations and
additional component technology demonstrations.
    The CCS system is the only system on the automotive market today that
provides seat occupants individually controlled, active heating and cooling
for year-round comfort.  The environmentally friendly system is integrated
into a vehicle seat and operates through a self-contained and solid-state
electronic heating and cooling system based on Amerigon's proprietary
thermoelectric device technology.
    "We are very proud that General Motors chose to highlight our CCS seat
system as a technology for the future in its Cadillac STS demonstration
vehicle, even though current models of that vehicle do not yet include CCS,"
said Amerigon Chief Executive Officer Daniel R. Coker.  "The inclusion of
Amerigon's CCS in General Motors' presentation underscores the fact that our
system is the industry's leading heated and cooled seat system and a prime
example of engineering innovation and expertise.  We believe this type of
recognition by a major automotive manufacturer at the most important
automotive engineering conference in the world will help increase demand for
CCS worldwide."
    The Cadillac STS is a luxury sedan that hit dealer showrooms in late 2004
as the Cadillac Seville replacement.  While not available on current
production vehicles of this model, CCS is available on the Cadillac XLR
roadster, Cadillac Escalade ESV and Cadillac DTS.

    About the Climate Control Seat(TM) System
    Amerigon's proprietary CCS system significantly enhances individual driver
and passenger comfort in virtually all climatic conditions by providing
cooling and heating to seat occupants, as desired, using a proprietary
solid-state heat pump combined with an active, microprocessor-controlled
temperature management system.  Ambient air is drawn into the system from the
cabin of the vehicle and, based on input from individual seat controls and
from temperature sensors built into CCS, the system's advanced heat pump heats
or cools the air.  The heat pump is built around a highly efficient,
solid-state thermoelectric device (TED) that rapidly converts electric current
into the desired thermal effect (hot or cold).

    About Amerigon
    Amerigon designs, develops and markets its proprietary Climate Control
Seat(TM) (CCS(TM)) products for sale to automotive and truck original
equipment manufacturers (OEMs).  CCS enhances individual driver and passenger
comfort in virtually all climatic conditions by providing cooling and heating
to seat occupants, as desired, through an active thermoelectric-based
temperature management system.  Amerigon's subsidiary, BSST, is developing
products using its proprietary, high-efficiency thermoelectric devices (TED).
It has development contracts with industry leading partners to expand the
market for TED-based automotive and non-automotive products.  Amerigon
maintains sales and technical support centers in Los Angeles, Detroit, Japan,
Germany and England.

    Certain matters discussed in this release are forward-looking statements
that involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may be different.
Important factors that could cause the Company's actual results to differ
materially from its expectations in this release are risks that sales may not
significantly increase, necessary additional financing may be unavailable, new
competitors may arise and adverse conditions in the automotive industry may
negatively affect its results.  The liquidity and trading price of its common
stock may be negatively affected by these and other factors.  Please also
refer to the Amerigon's Securities and Exchange Commission filings and
reports, including but not limited to its Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2004.

     Contact:  Allen & Caron Inc
               Jill Bertotti (investors)
               jill@allencaron.com
               Len Hall (media)
               len@allencaron.com
               (949) 474-4300

Link to this page: