Cars+LEDs... What took so long?

[TheMonarch]

So recently, LED tail lights have been slowly introduced into cars. But we've had LED lights everywhere else for a long, long time now. For example, the Accord. It wasn't till the '06 came out that LED tail lights were introduced.

My question is... _What_took_so_long_

LEDs are supposed to be cheaper, last a _long_ time, and use less energy. And we've known about that forever.

Anybody know?

 

[Scarlet Fever]

because theres more money to be made in the bulb-type lamps...?

 

[Chundles]

Cars have had LED lights in them for ages. Sure, not the full rear treatment but they were definitely present on the mirror-mounted indicator lights on Mercedes Benz E-class etc. that came out many years ago.

The class of LED required for safety regulations compliance were probably expensive and not worth the extra expense until now.

 

[Mechcozmo]

LEDs may not have been bright enough until recently to make it feasible.

 

[R.Youden]

Slightly off topic I know; but:

I you replace every traffic light in the UK with LED lights then you could turn off two power stations! And that doesn't include railway signaling lights or anything else.

 

[SpookTheHamster]

This isn't exactly scientific, but I've always thought LEDs haven't had good enough "spread" to use as headlights.

It's like the difference between a decent torch and a "super-bright" LED one. The LEDs might be brighter, but you can often see a whole load better with incandescent. I have a torch with both, and I find myself using the incandescent mode when, say, finding my way around a forest.

I'm not sure about the US, but they've been all over the rears of cars in Europe for quite a few years. Only just got to the front, with Audi and Lexus.

 

[MacBoobsPro]

This isn't exactly scientific, but I've always thought LEDs haven't had good enough "spread" to use as headlights.

They wouldnt be used for headlights as they arent powerful enough. They are used for brake lights and indicators etc.

 

[iGav]

LEDs are supposed to be cheaper, last a _long_ time, and use less energy. And we've known about that forever.

But the biggest bonus for car use is their quick response time... vital for brake lights for example.

They wouldnt be used for headlights as they arent powerful enough.

Audi and Lexus (as SpookTheHamster pointed out) are introducing L.E.D. headlights this year actually.

The brightness of the actual light themselves isn't as important as the design and efficiency of the lense, for example consider old lighthouses that were powered by one candle.

 

[iGav]

Interesting article on L.E.D.'s and their use in car headlights.

Although LEDs will not be approved in the European region as a light source for headlights until 2008 at the earliest, Audi has applied for an exemption that will allow it to use LED technology before then. There are no such restrictions in North America, where Lexus plans to launch a vehicle with LED headlights in 2007.

and...

Audi describes the light unit as having a design reminiscent of an open pine cone. Reflector shells arranged concentrically one behind the other, in conjunction with a powerful LED projection system, concentrate the light from one multi-chip LED emitter, producing a high-luminosity, uniform driving light.

Rinky dink link

 

[siurpeeman]

So recently, LED tail lights have been slowly introduced into cars. But we've had LED lights everywhere else for a long, long time now. For example, the Accord. It wasn't till the '06 came out that LED tail lights were introduced.

My question is... _What_took_so_long_

LEDs are supposed to be cheaper, last a _long_ time, and use less energy. And we've known about that forever.

Anybody know?

honda started moving towards led tail lights before the '06 model year with the '04 s2000. i don't know why, but these things take time.

 

[lexus]

The new RR PDH has LED front headlights.