Modern automobiles are generally equipped with LED lights straight from the company. This has started to become a standard practice across all car manufacturers. Who have now begun to accept the value of LED lights. In terms of both performance upgrades as well as aesthetics.
However, this doesn’t help people who may have bought base variants of their vehicles. Which don’t always feature the latest LED light technology. Partly because LED lights still aren’t mandatory by law in India. Unlike some other foreign countries that require them to be standard on all models.
It is also true for the 300 million or so vehicles that already run on Indian streets. Which all feature halogen lamps as their standard lighting solution. While these vehicles aren’t defective in any way. They can’t really match the performance provided by modern LED lights. Which become immediately obvious when you drive a car that does come LED stock lights.
One way to improve this situation is by replacing the headlights with LED retrofits. Depending on your budget, this can mean a lot of different things. From simply replacing the bulbs present in the housing. To changing the entire headlight assembly itself. Along with the wiring that goes into power them. Brands like OSRAM are well known for dabbling in both.
It goes without saying that out of the two options mentioned above. The second option will always be the better one in terms of long-term performance. However, it is also limited to a few models so far. As so far OSRAM only makes headlight assemblies for a handful of models from VW and BMW. For the rest of the market, stock replacement LED lights are the better alternative.
This is due to the fact that not only are these stock replacement LED lights the cheaper option. When compared to replacing the entire headlight assembly. They are also a lot easier to do. As easy as just swapping out the bulbs. You don’t even need to create a separate wiring harness to take advantage of these LED lights.
This means that stock replacement LED bulbs can be easily used to upgrade all sorts of vehicles. From small passenger vehicles, to commercial haulers, and more. Sure, they might be a bit more expensive than your standard halogen bulbs. But they make up for that extra cost with an extra-long life. And a more powerful light throws. That doesn’t deteriorate with age or use.
Just for reference, the long life we are talking about is more than twice the lifespan of halogen. And the more powerful light throws are more than 200% stronger at the same time. All of this performance and longevity doesn’t cost you much in power usage either.
As LED lights are up to 4 times more efficient than regular halogen bulbs. Which can consume up to 100W or more. While most stock replacement LED lights barely use 20-30W even at peak performance. So, in a way, not only are you improving your own safety by using better lighting solutions. You are also reducing the load on the car’s electrical system. Which doesn’t have to expend a lot of energy to keep you safe. Thus, ensuring a longer life for your batteries in turn.
These benefits alone should be enough to justify the switch to LED light bulbs for cars. You can pick from multiple options sold by brands like OSRAM. Which offer specialized products for all types of car headlights. From street legal options like the Night Breaker H7-LED. To the more versatile LEDriving HL series.
The Night Breaker series is OSRAM’s first street-legal stock replacement LED light. It is a basic plug-and-play solution that can fit most cars. It offers a strong cool white light that can go up to 6000K. The light barely takes 19W of power input. And delivers more than two times improvement in light output. The beam has been specifically designed to reduce the glare by up to 50%. Which is a big relief for people who are generally concerned about glare caused by white light bulbs.
This series meets the legal standards set for ECE R112 bulbs. Which means you can use them in commercial vehicles as well. Without worrying about voiding the warranty of the vehicle. OSRAM also sells secondary housing parts that help retrofit your existing vehicles. Just in case your vehicle doesn’t support simple swaps.
For people who aren’t concerned with ECE certifications. The LEDriving HL series offers a wider range of products. That fit H1, H4, H7, H11, and even HB4 lights. These lamps are 12V compatible. And come with an even longer lifespan that is proudly backed by a 5-year guarantee from the company.
Another benefit of these stock replacement LED lights is that they fit in a smaller housing. Which means there is more space inside the headlight assembly for heat dissipation. It also means that the light throw is also a lot tighter and evenly distributed. Which plays a big role in reducing glare.
The only caveat as we mentioned is the street-legal certification of these lights. Which means that installing them might void the warranty of the car. So, we suggest waiting until the warranty period is over before doing any upgrades. Which shouldn’t be that much of a problem, since most cars only offer 2-3 years warranties. That are usually cut short long before that period. As people often cross the maximum kms driven limit well before that time.
So, if you too own a car that still runs halogen bulbs. Then it might be the right time to talk with your local mechanic about stock replacement LED lights. They can be easily found in most well-stocked car accessory shops. Or even on online e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Flipkart. Where you can compare and contrast with other brands. To see which one fits your needs the best.
Once you have selected the one that is right for you. The installation process itself should take less than 30 minutes. Once completed, we guarantee that you will immediately notice the difference. And hopefully feel a lot safer on the roads at night.