Headlight technology has a very bright future

The race is always on for automakers to come up with new technology that puts them ahead of the pack. While much of the work done by engineers focuses on powertrains and fuel efficiency, they also keep an eye on aesthetics. Let’s face it, we all want our cars to look great and be noticeable on the street, and headlights are a fantastic way to make that happen. Look in your rear view mirror while on the road at night, and now you are likely to see all sorts of different headlights flashing at you, from projector headlights to halo lights that come in a variety of different colors.

In fact, if you take a trip to your local auto parts store, you will see that the custom headlight section is growing at a fairly rapid rate. As crazy as America is about its cars, the fact is that they are at the back of the pack when it comes to headlight technology. This is not because Europeans are delivering better and brighter products, but because regulations on the use of headlights and what type they can be used are quite restrictive in the United States.

However, times are changing and automatic lighting in this part of the world is becoming a little less strict. Among the most widely used automotive lamps on the market now are high intensity discharge (HID) lights, which are lit essentially with an arc rather than a filament. Car manufacturers looking to make a bit of an impact, usually in high-end models, are now opting for LED car lights. They are not the brightest on the market, but their design flexibility and low power consumption make them popular, although the cost to manufacture is high, which is why luxury cars are often where they end. BMW says its cars will feature laser lights in the future, although don’t expect a James Bond-style light that will allow you to cut through walls and other solid objects. What they will be is brilliant and incredibly accurate.

Custom headlights now include projection lights and the ability for the lights to follow the curves of the road. This idea started in the 1980s, when sealed beam headlights were the first to take beam shape into account. They weren’t the most effective lights ever made, but yes, sorry for the pun, they shaped the way for future technologies like projection lighting. Audi is expected to unveil the future of that technology, with its Matrix Lighting, using LED lights that will eliminate the need for separate high and low beam settings. Those lights may not be seen in the United States for a while, due to those pesky regulations that require vehicles to have different high and low beam settings.

One thing that is for sure about the future of car headlights is that it will be beyond the reach of the average mod enthusiast.