LED Headlights

[CVT]

LEDs have really come a long way. Used to engage them to identify the logic of an electronic circuit and then the Seven Segment LED Display.... Now, they're everywhere!....

5505:home:

[wildthing]

less power required for the headlights.... more power for the HU setup

[washburn]

tagal pa siguro ito sa market, pati katakot takot na conversion to baka change headlamp pa kung sakali

[rion]

I used to see this on concept cars.

I also see more cheap LED flashlights nowadays.

[CVT]

I used to see this on concept cars.

I also see more cheap LED flashlights nowadays.

Yes, they're bound to be everywhere soon.... They're now on traffic lights, vehicle lights, flashlights, house lights......... Incandescent lights, fluorescent lights et. al., in the future will just address some niche/special requirements.....

5505:home:

[glenngj]

In the very near future, drivers may be seeing things in a different light – literally. That’s because of the growing interest automakers have on LEDs or light emitting diodes used for headlights. In fact, as early as next year, LED headlights will be available in at least one new vehicle model, the new Lexus Hybrid LS. Technological breakthroughs have made LEDs bright enough to be used as headlights and daytime running lights. Unlike conventional lamps which use filaments or gas, LEDs use semiconductors to release electrical energy in the form of light.
LEDs offer several special characteristics and advantages over conventional lights. First, LEDs are power-efficient. For instance, LED running lights from Hella consume only 10 watts compared to the 150 watts it takes for a conventional headlight to light up in low beam. Second, LEDs offer more than just a single light beam. They can be dispersed into different interesting and exciting patterns to add to the aesthetic aspect of vehicles. Third, LEDs take up less space than conventional headlights freeing up more space for safety equipment in the vehicle’s front.
And lastly, LEDs are long-lasting. In fact, LEDs can outlast most vehicles. Steve Landau, spokesman for Philips Lumileds Lighting, makers of LED lights, says that LEDs can run for 50,000 hours with only a 30% decrease in brightness. He adds that the average car uses its headlights for only about 5,000 years within 10 years.
Meanwhile, the NHTSA says that LED headlights are legal if they meet standards for all other headlight types. LEDs are already becoming a staple in many concept cars in recent years. It may not be long before every car on the road has one

[glenngj]

I love hearing about this, but I also agree that there will be a range of problems different from those of incandescents or HIDs.
If the cars start to emit light below safe levels--unless, perhaps, the manufacturers were smart enough to under-drive the LEDs and will gradually boost them as they age.
Also: Although LEDs are indeed durable, there are two problems in using multiple LED arrays like these. One, you have more individual units, so the odds of any one LED failing because of a manufacturing defect are higher, and the arrays won't look attractive with some LEDs out. The other is that the LEDs are only as good as the wiring and boards they're plugged into. Looking at a number of LED center and brakelights, I see failures that look like a board or wire cracked, taking out half the array.
I think these problems are easily solved, mainly just by quality manufacturing and careful forethought in design. But who expects corner-cutting suppliers and automakers to do that?