Car Headlights: From the Beginning to the Age of Technology Race

From the early days with lamps using Acetylene gas, after more than 100 years of development, the car headlight system is showing great advances in lighting technology.

Lighting system on Mercedes-Benz cars

From Acetylene Gas Lamps to LED Lights

The early days of car headlights began in 1880, when drivers began using acetylene or kerosene lamps to light up their vehicles in low-light conditions. Compared to kerosene lamps, acetylene lamps were the most commonly used because they were more resistant to rain and wind. However, the increasingly expensive fuel prices prompted car manufacturers to look for new solutions.

The acetylene gas lamp used in early automobiles

After a period of research, in 1898 the Columbia Automobile Manufacturing Company based in Hartford, Connecticut, USA launched a line of cars using electric headlights. Although considered a luxury option on cars, the technology was outdated, making the lights very susceptible to damage.

It wasn’t until 1912 that Cadillac took automotive lighting technology to a new level when it initiated the development of more modern electric headlights. The type of light developed by the American car brand was capable of operating in harsh weather conditions, so it was quite popular on car models at that time.

The first car model to use electric headlights

Nearly 40 years later, a European headlight manufacturer first introduced the halogen headlight bulb. This is considered a breakthrough invention of car headlights. Because up to now, this type of light is still used on many popular car models.

When car manufacturing technology turned a new page, the HID high-intensity discharge (HID) lighting system, also known as Xenon lights, was born. This type of light has better lighting ability than halogen lights when using a spherical mirror (lens) to evenly distribute light to the front of the car. Behind the spherical mirror is a bulb containing xenon gas that will light up when an electric current passes through. The first car model to be equipped with this type of light was the 1991 BMW 7-series. However, with quite strict standards, it was not until 1996 that this type of light entered the US market when it was installed on the Lincoln Mark VIII.

BMW cars equipped with Xenon lights

In 2014, Audi marked a new milestone in automotive lighting technology when it equipped the Audi A8L with LED headlights. Audi's "Matrix" LED headlights have the ability to emit intelligent light without dazzling oncoming vehicles even when in high-beam mode.

The race for automotive lighting technology

Compared to the early years of development, the remarkable development of technology today allows modern car headlights not only to automatically turn on and off according to light conditions but also to "glance" to both sides when the car turns.

The development of headlight technology has made some significant strides in recent years. To compete with Audi, BMW has applied Laser light technology to the future electric car i8, this type of light has the ability to shine up to 600 to help the driver judge and handle dangerous situations from a very far distance.

Not wanting to be outdone by its competitors, Mercedes-Benz has developed digital headlight technology (Digital Light) that can “project” images of traffic signs onto the road to increase the driver’s concentration. This Mercedes technology uses 8,192 LED chips and more than 1 million micro-mirrors, all assembled in just one compact headlight.

Digital Light technology from Mercedes-Benz

In addition to lighting, car headlights also contribute to reducing collisions when manufacturers apply a series of advanced technologies. Typically, Audi's LED light system will automatically flash at pedestrians crossing the road when detecting a risk of accident, with the aim of warning the driver.

According to the US Highway Safety Agency, half of all fatal accidents occur at night, even though the number of vehicles is only 25% lower than during the day. These figures indicate that the “headlight war” between automakers will continue for the foreseeable future, and competition will only intensify. Of course, consumers will be the ones who benefit the most when nighttime driving safety is improved and the cost of LED and Laser lights becomes more affordable for most car owners.

According to TNO