Almost 110 years ago - In 1914, the Philips brand unveiled the first automotive light bulb Of its production. The parameters? A dizzying half-watt of power. But let's remember that in those days cars moved at equally dizzying speeds - 30 km/h max. Today, a car capable of 200 km/h or more is standard. With the development of speed, car lighting has also developed. Over the course of these 110 years, new types of automotive lights have been developed. Today we will discuss the different types of light bulbs - halogen bulbs, xenon bulbs, LED bulbs. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each solution? Let's check!
Halogen bulbs in the car - advantages and disadvantages
We will begin by discussing most popular type of bulbs Automobiles - from halogens. The halogen bulb was first used in an automobile in 1962. Halogen bulbs are still used to this day. And this is because have several key advantages, such as:
- Price - This technology is already years old. That's why halogens are much cheaper than other types of car bulbs (about which more shortly). This is a big plus for people who want to reduce their car costs.
- Availability - If you have a car equipped with halogen bulbs, then in case of failure/need for replacement you will find the right model without the slightest problem - whether online or in automotive parts stores. So you don't have to worry about long waiting times or lack of availability.
- Popularity - A huge number of vehicles base their lighting on halogen bulbs, so the aforementioned availability will certainly not decrease for another few years.
When halogen bulbs entered the automotive market in 1962, they were a true revolution. Today, however, automakers are increasingly moving away from halogens and opting for a different type of bulb . This is due to the fact that Halogens perform less well than more modern angled solutions:
- Energy Savings - Modern LEDs consume 10 times less electricity than halogen bulbs.
- Durability - LEDs can shine for up to 100,000 hours, and xenons for 3,000 hours. Such results are unattainable for halogens, which at best hit 1,000 hours.
- Efficiencies - Both xenons and LEDs give a stronger light than halogens.
Due to the defects listed - Halogen bulbs are being replaced by newer types of incandescent bulbs, about which just now.
Xenon bulbs in a car - advantages and disadvantages
Xenons are another type of car lights. The xenon bulb made its debut in 1991 in the BMW 7 Series. For a long time, xenons were used only in luxury cars. But over time they became more and more common and today they are standard. How are xenons better than classic halogen bulbs? Xenons provide:
- More light
- Greater range of lighting,
- Twice lower energy consumption,
- Greater durability,
- More pleasant light color - similar to daylight, which has a positive effect on the driver's vision.
But to make things less colorful - Xenons also have their disadvantages, such as:
- Price - The complex design of xenon bulbs makes them several times more expensive than halogens.
- More difficult to replace a light bulb - resulting from a more elaborate design.
- Vulnerability to breakage.
Xenon bulbs have brought significant changes to the automotive lighting market, and the development has gone even further and Back in 2006, the first LED bulbs appeared. Let's find out what characterizes this technology.
LED bulbs in a car - advantages and disadvantages
Another type of bulb is LEDs, which Lexus first used in its main car lights on the LS600h. Like xenons - when LEDs entered the market, they were a technology reserved for high-end cars. However, after some time, LED bulbs became widespread and today we can find them even in small cars such as the Renault Clio IV. LEDs are gaining popularity in the automotive lighting market every year due to their advantages, which include:
- Energy efficiency - LEDs use 10 times less energy than halogen bulbs.
- Durability - Between 50,000 and 100,000 hours. This is a ceiling not reached by both xenons (~3000 hours) and halogens (~1000 hours).
- Light color - Of all types of bulbs, it is LEDs that are most similar in color to daylight. This makes LED lighting very natural to the driver, which has a positive effect on vision.
- Reduced fuel consumption - Having LED bulbs in the car, we can save up to 0.3 liters of fuel per 100 km. This is due to the lower load on the alternator when the LEDs are running.
- Resistance to mechanical damage and vibration.
- Appearance - A slightly less practical advantage than those mentioned above, but you have to admit - LED lighting looks great.
Disadvantages: the price, of course. LEDs are much more expensive than other types of automotive bulbs, due to their complex design.
Types of automotive light bulbs - summary
You have learned about the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of automotive light bulbs. As is usually the case -. Each solution has its pros and cons. However, regardless of the type of bulb - when choosing it should be remembered, and actually It pays to keep in mind the right color temperature and several other factors, as you will see by reading our article:
→ Car bulb color temperature - how it affects lighting quality automotive?
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