Now, there are still three major headlight technologies that you might stumble across when buying a new car: halogen, LED, and laser. But, what’s the difference between these headlight types, and which is best?
Halogen Headlights
Halogen lights are absolute classics. They adorn the low end of basically every automaker’s vehicles, and they’re still going strong. It’s incredible that many automakers still have the nerve to offer these bulbs throughout their range of vehicles. One thing is for sure; you won’t find these antiquities near super modern vehicles like the tech-filled Rivian R1T.
The craziest thing is that Mercedes has offered these very cheap lights in many of its models, even on some super expensive SUVs. It’s always jarring to see these expensive vehicles sporting halogen headlights (which are always accompanied by equally ugly headlight housings), especially when Toyota has been offering the Corolla with LED headlights for a long time.
The way halogen headlights work is pretty simple. There’s a tungsten filament inside a glass enclosure filled with halogen gas. When electricity passes through the filament, it begins to heat up and emit the yellowish light you’re used to seeing.
This is basically a glorified incandescent light bulb, but the halogen allows the bulb to last longer than a typical incandescent bulb. In terms of pros and cons, the only true pros of halogen headlights are ease of maintenance and the fact that replacing the bulbs is cheap.
Other than that, it’s all cons. The bulbs get really hot and aren’t very bright, and they’re not very good at their main task, which is illuminating the road ahead. Not only this, but they use up way more energy than a comparable LED light. The biggest drawback to this technology is that due to the inefficient nature of their light emission, they end up being a liability in terms of how much power it takes to run them.
LED Headlights
LED headlights are slowly becoming ubiquitous in the automotive landscape. It’s not difficult to see why, as they outclass halogen lights in every objective category. Not only do LED lights look infinitely cooler than halogens, but they’re also more efficient. They run much cooler than halogen lights, and you won’t have to replace them as often as halogen light bulbs.
The fact that they run so cool indicates the efficiency advantage they hold over halogen bulbs. Halogen bulbs waste most of the energy they use by producing lots of heat; in turn, an LED light is supremely efficient when producing illumination.
LEDs can be used to replace all filament-based bulbs in a car, especially in the interior, where it’s better to use lights that don’t drain the car’s battery or alternator. LED lights also allow for headlight housings which can be stylized however the manufacturer sees fit. Not only this, but manufacturers like Audi are fitting their vehicles with advanced “matrix” style LED lights.
The best part about an advanced matrix headlight is the system’s ability to communicate with sensors scanning the road and adjust their beam pattern in real-time as a result of whatever information the sensors relayed. Imagine the benefits of always having your high beams on, but in a tailor-made way to avoid blinding oncoming traffic. These lights are a huge safety feature and provide infinitely more functionality than a halogen bulb ever could.
The only drawbacks to LED lights are the difficulty associated with servicing these units. It’s definitely much easier to service a halogen bulb, where you simply swap the burned bulb out. However, LED lights are also more expensive than a typical halogen bulb because they feature chips and more complex electronic components. Regardless, LEDs last much longer, so you won’t be forced to change these bulbs very often.
Laser Headlights
These headlights sound like something out of a sci-fi film. Don’t worry, though; your neighbor won’t be shooting deadly laser beams at your vehicle from his new BMW. Laser headlights aren’t very common, but they are some of the brightest lights available and have already made their debut on flagship vehicles like the Audi R8 and the BMW i8.
Much like the Tesla Model S Plaid is the king of jaw-dropping EV stats, laser headlights are absolute monsters compared to any other headlight. They utilize super futuristic technology, featuring a blue laser that is directed at a concentration of phosphorus inside the headlight housing.
When the laser’s photons are shining on the phosphorus, a huge explosion of dazzling white light ensues. This light is many times brighter than LEDs and cements the laser headlight as the king of the lumen wars. In fact, the light output is so bright that BMW doesn’t activate the laser feature on some of their headlights until the car is moving past a certain speed, and they also incorporate an anti-glare measure.
Getting up to the necessary speed to use the laser headlights shouldn’t be a problem for the blinding fast performance EVs BMW makes. These lights can also illuminate twice as far down the road as an LED light, ensuring improved visibility and safety in most conditions.
Obviously, seeing more of the road is a huge plus for driving safety, but all of these good things come at a cost. This technology is still very expensive, and regular maintenance on these units is probably best left to the experts. Swapping a faulty bulb on one of these systems is a job you’re unlikely to have much success with unless you have an electrical engineering degree.
What’s Next For Automotive Lighting?
Not long ago, the thought of installing LEDs as a vehicle’s primary headlight system was preposterous. Now, LEDs can potentially get left in the dust by the advent of laser-headlight-equipped vehicles.
It will be interesting to see what new technology comes along that unseats laser headlights. Considering the frenetic rate at which vehicle tech has evolved over the past few years, this shouldn’t take too long.
