Recent trends in the performance of tungsten-halogen and HID low beams in the U.S.

Abstract

This report (1) presents photometric data for a sample of high-intensity discharge (HID) low beams for model year 2004 vehicles in the U.S. and for the corresponding tungstenhalogen low beams manufactured for use on the same vehicles, and (2) analyzes the technological and photometric trends for low-beam headlighting in the U.S. from 1997 to 2004. There are two main findings. First, from 1997 to 2004 there was a general photometric improvement of both tungsten-halogen and HID low beams. Second, the photometric performance of the current HID low beams is superior to that of the current tungsten-halogen low beams.