LEDs Light the Way for New Car Headlamp Designs

SAN JOSE, Calif., April 30 -- Automotive designers are adding headlamps to the growing list of automotive lighting components powered by LEDs, reflecting technology advances that have made light-emitting diodes bright enough to be incorporated in headlights for the first time.

The new headlamps are being built with Luxeon LEDs from Lumileds Lighting. Each Luxeon emitter delivers up to 60 times more light than conventional 5 mm LEDs. Luxeon said its technology is making it possible to produce innovative new headlight designs that not only capitalize on the small size of LEDs but also consume less energy than standard lamps, have no environmentally undesirable mercury and do not need to be replaced for the life of the vehicle.

Luxeon-based forward lighting is being used in the Ford Model U and Audi Nuvolari concept vehicles and Dodge Tomahawk four-wheel concept motorcycle.

"LEDs have been used in automotive signal lighting applications for a number of years, but until recently it would have required too many emitters to produce sufficient illumination for forward lighting," said Jeff Raggio, automotive business development manager for Lumileds Lighting. "Our Luxeon technology makes LED-powered headlamps practical for the first time, and the presence of these headlamps in today's concept vehicles indicates that consumers will be driving cars with Luxeon headlights within a couple of years."

For more information, visit: www.lumileds.com