Many automotive front lighting innovations are currently in development or have already been launched as for instance adaptive lighting (see Mercedes new E-class then S-class), or LEDs (see Audi R8 then A8)
For me the main new technology car makers and lighting suppliers have to be aware of in the next months is the Xenon 25W technology for 3 reasons:
1) This technology is the best compromise between better lighting performance and cost.
2) This technology is affordable for most of the cars.
° Low range of premium car would be equipped with Xenon 25W instead Halogen.
° Middle range cars would mainly be equipped with Xenon 25W instead of Halogen
° Low range cars would have an attractive good light option with Xenon 25W.
3) Xenon 25W brings a great contribution to CO2 saving, with a consumption per car of maximum 50w for low and high beam, instead of today’s Halogen 130W-260W consumption range.
LED technology is the best technology for the far future, with strengths on energy consumption, styling and suitability for all cars (from high range cars with styling and performances to low cost cars with few LEDs and minimum styling) but will not be affordable for most cars in the near future.
Xenon 25W is the best affordable technology for a better light in the near future for most cars, with the threat to be outperformed in all aspects by LEDs after 2015-2018. The opportunity window being so narrow, car makers and lighting suppliers should work together to create a common standard, key to the rapid market introduction of the Xenon 25W technology.
Week after week, DVN will publish “Deep and short technical info” presenting the different advantages of Xenon 25W. Your feedback will be very interesting to succeed together in the introduction of this technology in the market.