Should your new car have laser headlights?

Automobile headlights have evolved significantly in the past several years from the incandescent beams of the past to halogens to LEDs. Laser headlights, which were first introduced in the BMW i8, take this even further providing a brilliant white light to illuminate the road ahead.

BMW says that laser headlights can be up to 1,000 times brighter than an LED while consuming significantly less power. They can also light up to 6 times more road than traditional LED low beams, providing significantly increased visibility.

How do laser headlights work?

The first thing to understand is that laser headlights don’t actually shoot laser beams at the road ahead. Instead, three blue lasers fire their beams onto a set of mirrors. The mirrors then focus the energy into a lens filled with yellow phosphorus which in turn emits an intense white light. The reflected light from these beams is safe to be looked at directly.

Are laser headlights worth the cost?

US regulators are still hesitant to allow mass adoption of laser headlights because of a 1968 rule prohibiting high beams that can’t be manually shut off. However, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is considering adding headlight technology to its formula for ranking the safety of individual vehicles. If they do so, this could increase adoption of a number of lighting advancements including laser headlights.

Which vehicles offer adaptive headlights?

As of the time of writing, adaptive headlights are offered as a standard or optional feature on these vehicles:

Audi

Audi is working to integrate laser technology into its Matrix LED headlights, but is not yet offering them in production models.

BMW

BMW Laserlight is currently offered on the i8; the 2016 7 Series includes LED low beam headlights and LED high beams with a laser module.

Buick

Buick does not currently offer laser headlights.

Cadillac

Cadillac does not currently offer laser headlights.

Hyundai

Hyundai does not currently offer laser headlights.

Infiniti

Infiniti does not currently offer laser headlights.

Jeep

Jeep does not currently offer laser headlights.

Kia

Kia does not currently offer laser headlights.

Land Rover

Land Rover does not currently offer laser headlights.

Lexus

Lexus does not currently offer laser headlights.

Mazda

Mazda does not currently offer laser headlights.

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz offers a multi-beam LED system that creates a more powerful light than traditional LEDs. It is currently available on the CLS-Class.

Nissan

Nissan does not currently offer laser headlights.

Porsche

Porsche does not currently offer laser headlights.

Volkswagen

Volkswagen does not currently offer laser headlights.

Volvo

Volvo does not currently offer laser headlights.

Whether or not you want laser headlights in your new vehicle, Cartelligent can help you get a great deal on exactly what you want. Call our team of car-buying experts at 888-427-4270 or get started today.