In the ever-advancing world of today, more and more automakers have started to no longer produce the old and faithful incandescent light bulbs and have started replacing them with LED lights. To explain it first, “LED” is short for Light Emitting Diodes – a form of transistor doped with a substrate which emits light when current is applied. If we figuratively present incandescent lights as analog technology, then LED lighting is the digital equivalent.
And since LED lighting can be installed in different ways and locations which are not possible with fluorescent or incandescent lights, they create some unique applications. In today’s article, we’ll take a look at some great uses of LED lighting in vehicles and all the ways they can make driving safer and more fun.
Due to the fact that LED lights use just a fraction of the electricity that regular bulbs do and they can last up to 25 times longer, they make for an awesome upgrade on your vehicle. Think LED tail light assemblies, LED roof lights, LED turn signal lights, and even LED lights for pickup bed areas. If you are an off-road enthusiast, I am pretty sure you will appreciate this wide range of applications. For instance, the colour and brightness of LEDs make them the ideal natural fit for fog lights. They can increase your safety by enabling you to see further, which, in turn, makes it much easier for other drivers to spot you.
Furthermore, one of the coolest thing about automotive LEDs is that there are many models that can change their colour, also known as “Red-Green-Blue” (RGB) lights. They may contain up to three different LEDs in one unit – separate ones for green, blue, and red. Or, a single LED can be coated with three different substances which can emit green, blue, and red when current is applied. Any combination out of these three colours can be made by varying the voltage, plus, they can also change between hues either quickly or gradually.
This multi-color feature of LEDs makes it possible to have one light assembly to perform multiple functions. For instance, white daytime running lights can change from white to amber and can double their function as turn signals by flashing. Or, a red rear driving light can blink amber on turns, brighten during braking, and turn white when the vehicle is going reverse.