I spent the whole of last week in the States to meet with DVN members, and immerse myself in the trends in the North American vehicle lighting market. We estimate this market was worth around $7.5bn in 2023, making it the world’s third market after China and Europe, and we forecast growth of up to 5 per cent per year through 2030.
My starting point was the solar eclipse we saw in Nashville, Tennessee at around 3pm. Strange to see all vehicles with low beam on by day (especially in a country where daytime running lights are not required).
Battery electric vehicles don’t have radiators, so the grille gives way to grilleboards—and in America, there are no regulatory restrictions like in Europe and China about logo size, minimum distance between left and right lamps, etc. So, it is a clear trend here to have lit grilleboards and logos. The Cadillac Lyriq, Dodge Charger, Hummer EV, and Rivian R1T/R1S are good examples.
DVN was invited by SPE, the Society of Plastic Engineers, to their EAV event in Troy, Michigan, to present our views on these trends and the challenges for OEMs and suppliers. It was really interesting to discuss with raw material supplier about the challenges, requirements, and legal constraints on lamp design.
I’ve also had time at the SAE Lighting System Group meeting in Nashville, where we had interesting discussion about testing and compliance with FMVSS 108 (front decorative lamps per SAE J3098, plastic materials per SAE J576, exterior lighting for use in park condition per SAE J3283, and road projections per SAE J3088).
