Xenon lights look fantastic and offer improved visibility, but they typically involve additional cost. Conversely, Halogen bulbs are cheap and reliable, but they leave room for improvement in lighting quality.
To help shed some light on the real-world benefits of xenon lighting, and what the future of vehicular illumination might have in store, our Justin Pritchard had an enlightening conversation with Mercedes-Benz’s David Sherrard about the differences in two types of automotive lighting.
J.P.: Why do some vehicles have xenon lighting as an option? Is something wrong with regular halogen?
D.S.: ‘Bi-Xenon’ headlamps, which refer to xenon lamps that function in both the low and high-beam positions, are more costly to produce than halogen headlamps. Regular halogen headlamps work very well-- but they don’t provide the same quality of illumination offered by bi-xenon headlamps.
J.P.: Most test-drives in the shopping process aren't carried out at night. What are the key differences shoppers can expect if they opt for xenon lighting?
D.S.: The key benefits to purchasing bi-xenon headlamps versus halogen headlamps include outstanding brightness compared to conventional headlamps, longer service life, significantly improved lighting range in high-beam mode, and clearer and broader illumination of the edges of the road in low-beam mode. Also, the headlight cleaning system provided with bi-xenon lighting on our vehicles ensures that the headlamps remain clean at all times.
J.P.: Functionally speaking, standard halogen light bulbs are pretty straightforward. How do xenon headlamps work?
D.S.: The light source in a bi-xenon headlamp is a ‘gas-discharge’ lamp, in which an arc is generated within a quartz cylinder that contains a mixture of gasses.
A single gas-discharge lamp is used for both high and low beam settings. In the high-beam setting, the entire beam is used, and when switching to a low-beam setting, a shutter is inserted between the lamp and the lens, blocking out the portion of the beam directed into the distance to prevent dazzling oncoming vehicles.
J.P.: Who should most strongly consider opting for a xenon lighting system?
To help shed some light on the real-world benefits of xenon lighting, and what the future of vehicular illumination might have in store, our Justin Pritchard had an enlightening conversation with Mercedes-Benz’s David Sherrard about the differences in two types of automotive lighting.
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Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com |
J.P.: Why do some vehicles have xenon lighting as an option? Is something wrong with regular halogen?
D.S.: ‘Bi-Xenon’ headlamps, which refer to xenon lamps that function in both the low and high-beam positions, are more costly to produce than halogen headlamps. Regular halogen headlamps work very well-- but they don’t provide the same quality of illumination offered by bi-xenon headlamps.
J.P.: Most test-drives in the shopping process aren't carried out at night. What are the key differences shoppers can expect if they opt for xenon lighting?
D.S.: The key benefits to purchasing bi-xenon headlamps versus halogen headlamps include outstanding brightness compared to conventional headlamps, longer service life, significantly improved lighting range in high-beam mode, and clearer and broader illumination of the edges of the road in low-beam mode. Also, the headlight cleaning system provided with bi-xenon lighting on our vehicles ensures that the headlamps remain clean at all times.
J.P.: Functionally speaking, standard halogen light bulbs are pretty straightforward. How do xenon headlamps work?
D.S.: The light source in a bi-xenon headlamp is a ‘gas-discharge’ lamp, in which an arc is generated within a quartz cylinder that contains a mixture of gasses.
A single gas-discharge lamp is used for both high and low beam settings. In the high-beam setting, the entire beam is used, and when switching to a low-beam setting, a shutter is inserted between the lamp and the lens, blocking out the portion of the beam directed into the distance to prevent dazzling oncoming vehicles.
J.P.: Who should most strongly consider opting for a xenon lighting system?
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Photo: Jupiter Images |