Most drivers consider spaciousness, powertrain, safety features, infotainment, style, fuel efficiency, and other factors when purchasing a new or used vehicle. Those attributes are often seen as make-or-break for drivers who have a clear concept of what they want while going into the hunt. Other elements may be less desirable, but their presence or removal can still be significant in the long run, as their inclusion or exclusion represents either automotive serendipity or remorse for what could have been. The headlights are one of these features! After all, good headlights make the difference between seeing and not seeing. They can mean the difference between knowing what’s around the next dark corner and being caught off guard by something. Ironically, there isn’t a lot of clarity about the various types of headlights available on the market, and their specific advantages over one another, so we’ll try to assist. After all, because these terms are commonly used to bill extra features and services, it’s crucial to understand what they imply.
Standard Halogen light
Standard headlights have been in use since the first automobiles rolled off the assembly line and into the garage of some monocled aristocracy over a century ago. A forward-facing bulb is housed in a reflective housing or casing in standard headlights. Early types, which lasted until the late twentieth century, were incandescent, with a construction comparable to that of household light bulbs. These incandescent bulbs were hot to the touch, didn’t last long, and projected a sticky, subdued light that wasn’t particularly useful. By using halogen gas instead of a filament, halogen lights advanced the technology. This resulted in significantly more consistent forward-facing lighting. Halogen standard headlights are the most prevalent headlights that are still in use today.
LED headlights
LED headlights are among the most energy-efficient lamps on the market. They’re also among the most recent to debut, as well as among the most appealing. LEDs, which have a more intense and homogeneous appearance than other types of headlights, can be used in shapes other than a bulb. This adaptability has enabled some of the most innovative headlight and taillight designs to emerge in the last 5 – 10 years. LEDs also operate at a lower temperature than almost any other headlight technology, allowing them to survive longer. Kia models, such as the 2018 Kia Soul, have optional LED external lighting for extra aesthetic and practicality.
Laser headlights
Laser headlights, possibly the most outrageously cool combination of two terms we can think of for a car description, are a brand new technology on the market. However, before you start worried about your cat pursuing cars, keep in mind that a laser is not actually emitted from the vehicle’s lamp casing. Instead of electricity, a laser is used to excite a gas, which produces photons (like HID lights). The distinction is that laser headlights are more adaptable than LED headlights, allowing for numerous shapes and designs while producing over 1000 times the energy at a fraction of the cost.
HID headlights
You can obtain three to five times the brightness with xenon headlights compared to regular halogen lights. As a result, HIDs are the brightest replacement automobile headlight bulbs available. Without a question, the most significant feature that headlights can provide when you drive your automobile out on the road, especially during the hours when you need them, is brightness. As the sun sets, HIDs enable you to maneuver turns with increased confidence and parallel park in tight places with a better sense of your surroundings. Even during the day, when you pull into dimly lit garages, HID headlights may make parking your vehicle a lot easier.
Conclusion
The design of the headlight assembly and the reflectors the pieces that shine the light down the road, as well as how effectively the headlights are aimed, influences performance, regardless of whether the light originates from a halogen, high-intensity-discharge bulb, or LEDs. LEDs use an electric current to travel through a semiconductor (or diode) to produce brighter, cooler light. LEDs are around 90% more efficient than incandescent bulbs, and because they emit less heat, they last significantly longer than other forms of light. LEDs, unlike incandescent lights, do not normally burn out, however, they gradually dim over time. The future surely seems bright for the LEDs.
