When I wrote a report on DRL more than 10 years ago, I explained how “Audi have been quick to understand and employ the DRL safety lever with brand-wide DRL signature appearance. Shortly thereafter, BMW followed along similar lines. Then came other premium brands. This trend is clear: after premium, generalists will follow”.
Where are we today about DRLs? I am working with DVN colleagues, through the greatest lighting experts, on a very important DVN Study, to be published in September about the relationships between engineering, design, and marketing. We’ve conducted great interviews with engineers and designers from worldwide automakers—generalist and premium alike. One point I retain is that the designers are working on thinner and thinner main headlamps, but are dreaming to hide more and more the main headlamps and maximise the design benefits of DRLs, easier to achieve any shape without the constraints of main lights.
When the DRL feature and function arrived in the beginning to improve safety, it was fought by design, marketing, and cost-control departments. But it has becoming a primary main front lighting design anchor, replacing headlamps in that role. Take a look at the teaser picture of the new Opel Astra to see just one example.
Be sure to plan for the next two DVN events on the docket:
• the US DVN Workshop near Detroit on 21-22 September
• the DVN Lidar Conference in Frankfurt on 15-16 November.
We look forward to your participation!
Sincerely yours,
