A common thing that might go unnoticed in many vehicles is the lighting options. Often, owners do not pay attention to the type of lights that their vehicle features. While many modern vehicles offer Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) from the factory, not all bulbs are LEDs. Most headlights are still halogen bulbs to keep costs down in the manufacturing process and the reliability of a halogen bulb is sufficient. Another option that can be seen in today’s vehicles is High-Intensity Discharge (HID) headlights.
How Does A Halogen Bulb Work?
A standard halogen bulb is similar to an incandescent light using a burning filament inside a sealed glass capsule with gasses trapped inside. Halogen bulbs go through what is called a halogen cycle which prevents the glass from becoming black over time. The halogen gas inside burns and clings to the glass then Tungsten from the outer glass attracts back to the filament which prolongs the life of the bulb.
All vehicles started out utilizing halogen bulbs as they have been around since the 1880s, shortly before the invention of the automobile. Proving tried and true still to this day, halogen bulbs can be found in street lights, sign illumination, billboards, sporting arenas, and many other uses making it a versatile light source that has lasted almost 150 years.
Due to new developments in HID and LED bulbs, halogen has slowly been dwindling. Since HIDs and LEDs offer higher light output while saving more energy, the future is slowly taking over. With halogen being taken over by new technology, many automotive manufactures are embracing the change to better engineer their vehicles with brighter and more efficient light sources.
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What Is an HID Headlight?
An HID features some of the same methods as a neon sign to illuminate the two electrodes inside the bulb. Utilizing a ballast to moderate the voltage and wattage to the bulbs and depending on the Kelvin temperature of the bulb, you can achieve different color outputs. Due to the expense of HID’s they are not commonly seen in all modern vehicles, although the frequency of usage is becoming higher.
Brought to life in 1991, HID bulbs provide an exponential light output when used in an automotive application. Since HIDs are more energy-efficient than halogen bulbs, they allow vehicles to apply more power to important circuits within the electronic system. The light output achieved by an HID headlight is significantly above a halogen.
Commonly seen in the aftermarket world, HID’s are a popular choice amongst car enthusiasts. The reason being, the power efficiency, and significant light output prove to be much more beneficial than halogens. One downside to HID’s is the cost to replace over time compared to a standard halogen light bulb. Factory HID bulbs can get expensive, but do last longer than halogen light.
Originally introduced in ‘90s BMW 7-Series, HID lights have not changed much in the construction or function. Thanks to the initial design, not much has been needed to revise the original configuration as it offers reliable light output with intense distance. LED lights are just as bright, but do not come near the distance of an HID.
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How Are LEDs The Future Of Lighting?
Alongside the introduction of HIDs, LEDs were incorporated into the automobile design in the early 1990s. Being that the new technology required less voltage and wattage, vehicle manufactures could focus on adding amenities to the vehicle to better improve the overall comfort along with better visibility at night. Not only utilized in exterior lighting, but LEDs are becoming a common interior light source as it illuminates much better than a standard halogen bulb.
The significant light output makes LEDs ideal for interior and exterior lighting. Most vehicles manufactured today are using LEDs for the taillights as halogen bulbs weren’t bright enough. It is a proven fact that owners that replace their taillights with LED bulbs, there is a 3.9% reduction in rear-end collisions. That percentile goes up if there are flashers built into the third brake light or the standard running lights when the brakes are engaged.
Blinking Brake Lights (BBL) is fairly new to the industry and has been preventing rear-end impacts since its introduction. Paired with LED lights, the flashing of the brake lights when the pedal is depressed catches the attention of anyone directly behind you or near. In many situations, the incorporation of this design has saved many motorcyclists along with any other motorist on the road with BBL that uses LEDs.
Nighttime driving can be dangerous at times, especially for those that live in the desert or any other rural area. Lighting is not plentiful, sometimes non-existent, in these areas where roads or trails are located making it difficult to see the upcoming danger. While LED headlights are completely legal, many regulations are depending on the state as to what color they emit, how bright they are, and producing glare upon other drivers.
Before purchasing LED headlights that will be used for on-road driving, please look into your state’s regulations before purchasing. Some vehicles are equipped with LED headlights from the factory that is within the specification of their region. LEDs are also becoming a standard for any off-road machine as the light output of common lightbars provides enough light and power to illuminate a mountain making them optimal for off-road usage.
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Best Uses For LED
Off-roading is the number one proponent to using LEDs as they are an efficient light source that doesn’t require much to provide immense light. Commonly used within the UTV, Jeep, and other various off-roading communities LED is taking over the automotive lighting industry. On-road driving deserves an equal amount of attention towards the lighting.
Going down a back road with many twists and turns at night in dry conditions can be dangerous, let alone during fog, rain, hail, or even snow. LEDs can illuminate the road ahead with unimpeded light travel. LED headlights paired with LED fog lights prove to be an incomparable combination as the low mounting of the light pods prevent glare from the elements.
LED lighting can be used for various accent lighting throughout the whole vehicle. What was known as neon underglow has since been replaced with LED light strips which offer much more customization and placement than previous underglow kits. Producing much higher light output and offering customizable colors and patterns, LEDs have taken over the underglow market.
Headlights have been receiving various LED upgrades, but not to illuminate the road ahead. Many companies are utilizing RGB LEDs to accent the headlights. Mainly seen within the show car community, LED headlight accents have been a common occurrence and provide a unique look compared to many other vehicles with regular headlights. The LED retrofit in older vehicles has proven to be quite stylish along with unique and classy as some of the custom ordeals can be stunning.
