The global market for HB LEDs exceeds $5bn annually, and is expected to grow at a pace of more than 24% annually. The automotive lighting market is still a small part of it with $750m but will benefit from the aggressive and bullish approach of global suppliers which view this market as an attractive and fast growing volume market opportunity.
In former DVN reports, we described how LEDs were gradually introduced first for CHMSL, then for rear lighting multifunction and DRL thanks to the unique styling and brand recognition benefits of the technology. Since 2007 and the arrival of the first LED headlamp in the Lexus LS600H, LED headlamp became the first priority of Premium cars, Audi with R8, A8, A7, and A6, Mercedes-Benz with the CLS or BMW with the 6 Series Coupe started in 2011.
After describing in the first part the technologies involved in the latest LED headlamps, this report covers in its second part the offerings and market strategies of the main leading global automotive LED suppliers.
The benefits are not only styling differentiation but also energy consumption reduction and lighting performance. In the third part of the report, the benefits, drawbacks, and leading and lagging areas of development and refinement are discussed in terms of safety performance, total cost of commercialisation, and subcomponent standardisation.
An important part of the report is dedicated to forecasts about volume production and technical performance.
The report is closed with detailed illustrations and comments are given on most of LED headlamps equipping production car models with an attempt to describe where the progress is most prominent and more than 20 concept car models which project a vision of future trends.
In around 100 pages and more than 200 illustrations this report draws the roadmap of LED headlamps and describes its future as seen through the eyes of the author and in the faithful opinion of some of the best automotive lighting experts.
We retain from this report how LED appearance shifts from the signature of a technology mainly reflector for halogen and projector for HID to a brand signature and the possibility to better differentiate in the same car model a high range version from a low range. We also do not forget the two other main benefits, reduced power consumption and the potential for better lighting performance than halogen and HID.