Safe driving for all: We enable LEDification of all vehicle classes

It’s no secret how enthusiastic I am about LED technology. It opens up countless possibilities for the automotive lighting market - not only in terms of design and comfort but also for safety and sustainability.  

At OSRAM Continental, we feel responsible for making the advantages of the LED technology accessible to all vehicle classes. High-quality lighting must not be a privilege of the high-priced segment. My colleague Martin Petzold, Head of Technical Business Development EMEA at OC, points out why this step is so important.  

Safety on the road is mandatory 

„I think safety should always be at the top of the agenda in vehicle development. LED light offers the driver much better visibility. It really makes a difference whether you are driving at night, in fog or rain with LED or halogen light.  

In addition to improved visibility, LED lighting provides the basis for automated lighting functions such as adaptive high beams, which also contribute to safer driving and greater comfort for the driver and for other road users, as they are no longer blinded, for example."

Penetration needs standardization 

To penetrate LED technology in all car segments, cost-effective and standardized modules are needed. Thus, we developed our eXchangeable Light Engine (XLE) to make LED technology affordable also for entry-level cars and the basic options of cars. Dr. Claus Allgeier, Principal Strategy and Regulations at OC, focuses on four factors that will make LED the future norm: 

1.    Flexibility: Our platform design works with several XLE building blocks. The scalable design and compact size provide the flexibility for adaptation to headlights of all vehicle classes – even of different car brands.  

2.    Cost efficiency: Our solution allows large-scale volume processes for the manufacturing of the XLE. Together with highly efficient development cycles, the scalable approach with three performance variants makes the XLE a cost-efficient product. 

3.    Size: The specific design reduces substantially the size and the weight of the Light Engine in comparison to state-of-the-art LED Modules. This helps to reduce CO2 emissions for combustion engines or increase the range for electric vehicles.    

4.    Maintenance: XLE in the current design is already serviceable which means it can be reused in case of a damaged headlight. At the moment a workshop certified by a set maker or the set maker himself can repair a headlight without scraping the whole contents of it. The next step will be, that this can also be done by a dealer workshop or even by the end consumer. 

Aiming for a new industry standard 

We consider the widespread use of LEDs as THE future of automotive lighting. With the XLE we aim to contribute to a new industry standard. The cost-efficient and standardized modules ensure the accessibility of the technology to the entire market. We want LED headlights to become the state-of-the-art lighting in all vehicle classes of today and tomorrow – providing safe driving for all.