Recently Jean-Paul Charret met with Michael Flannagan and John Bullough, two of North America’s greatest experts in automotive lighting. Their analyses and views of the prospects for current and future technologies are in close accord and give an expert’s-eye preview of the American automotive lighting scene in the next decade. Salient details include Flannagan’s and Bullough’s forecast that halogen headlamps will still be found on just under half of new vehicles after a decade’s time, while LEDs will command a little over half the market and HIDs will no longer be in the mix. AFS, mainly bending light, and even the complex systems presently barred by Federal regulations will be used in US because of automaker and consumer interest and insurance groups’ findings of improved safety. And ADB — largely but not completely matrix-based — will be the light of the future because it is simple to understand and transparent to the drive.
About laser technology, the forecast is less clear. LED could be still the technology of the future because progress should allow this technology to dominate the market and laser technology is still mysterious with negative points to be solved. As for OLED, there is some doubt on the lighting performance and on the cost.
It is encouraging that these experts, with their front-row seats for American developments, think ADB and other technologies presently gaining good traction in Europe will sooner than later be permitted in the NAFTA region! Have a look at the full interview published herein.
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