New lexus LS hybird 600H with LED headlights

Have you guys check out the new Lexus hybrid V8 LS 600H ? It has LED headlights Isnt' it cool ? if you want this LED on wheels, you have to mortgage your house.


http://www.autospies.com/article/index.asp?articleId=7038&categoryId=

What kind of LED's get bright enough to act as car headlights?

From the article:

With electric motors providing infinite torque from rest, the V8 hybrid system will deliver power seamlessly with impressive acceleration and passing speed.

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"infinite torque"... Sounds like a press release (technically "infinite torque" at rest is virtually zero horse power (infinite torque * zero motion = zero horse power)

-Bill

"infinite torque"... Sounds like a press release (technically "infinite torque" at rest is virtually zero horse power (infinite torque * zero motion = zero horse power)

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What they probably mean is that the torque initially is limited only by tire adhesion. Why press releases don't just come out and say things like that I don't know.

Not sure what sort of LEDs they're using in the headlights, though I'd wager they are probably not using Cree or Seoul, which means efficiency probably won't be much better than halogen headlights. Cree/Seoul LEDs are close to the efficiency of HID, but could have an advantage by being able to focus the light more effectively than those projector lamps that lose about half of the lumens.

luxeons...

I wonder how Toyota is getting the appropriate tint/color spectrum on those headlights in order to conform with U.S. DOT standards?

--dan

I'm still suspicious about how well the LEDs would pierce fog and smoke. As for the LEDs, according to another thread the Audi will have 22 high performance LEDs in 7 groups of two or four.

I don't even have a 19"lcd in my house!!! *(yet)

dyyys1 said:

I'm still suspicious about how well the LEDs would pierce fog and smoke. As for the LEDs, according to another thread the Audi will have 22 high performance LEDs in 7 groups of two or four.

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Hmm... 22 LEDs probably run at 3W each... that's 66 watts. Considering that those are Luxeons, that's significantly less efficient than running two 35W HID bulbs in exchange for a lot more light.

As for the issue of fog/mist. Most LEDs are in the 6000K+ color temperature range, with a large portion of its output coming from blue -- which is more prone to being scattered (it does make for a cool effect pointing my bright Cree lights straight up on a rainy day though -- like a pocketable "Luxor" light ) HID bulbs, even though they are less yellow than halogen, are generally still down in the 4000K range so won't have as much of a problem in that respect -- I honestly dont know why more LEDs aren't out in the 4000K range, it seems converting more blue (low sensitivity wavelength) to yellow/green (peak sensitivity) would result in more lumens, a more useful color temp, and better ability to pierce fog (less scattered blue generating glare).

2xTrinity said:

I honestly dont know why more LEDs aren't out in the 4000K range, it seems converting more blue (low sensitivity wavelength) to yellow/green (peak sensitivity) would result in more lumens, a more useful color temp, and better ability to pierce fog (less scattered blue generating glare).

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It's probably not as easy as it sounds. I don't know much about the black art of making LEDs with good color tint, but Luxeon has a hard enough time getting the same color out of each LED, much less a better one.