Report: Adoption of Auto LED Lights Will Rise 22 Percent

1912

A market report by McKinsey & Company predicts a sharp increase in LED (Light Emitting Diode) lighting adoption in the automotive category by the end of the decade.

In 2011, LEDs claimed a 12 percent share, contributing to the overall category’s revenue of $18.1 billion. Researchers expect to see a spike of 22 percentage points by 2020, increasing the LED share to 34 percent of the overall automotive lighting market.

This is based on the anticipated growth in the adoption of LED headlights and daytime running light systems by automakers during the next eight years, according to David Hulick, OSRAM marketing director, specialty solid state lighting.

Hulick points to three major trends driving the LED adoption rate upward:

  • Styling and aesthetics – New LED systems empower designers with a more flexible palette, enabling new shapes, colors and mounting configurations that were not possible until recently.
  • Functionality and safety – LEDs offer solutions for better vision and reduced glare, and operate at a color temperature that is close to natural sunlight.
  • Energy savings – LEDs use significantly less energy than standard halogens. OSRAM’s JOULE technology, for instance, utilizes 14 watts of electricity compared with 65 watts for a conventional bulb.

“An efficient LED headlamp system can extend an electric vehicle’s range on a charge by nearly six miles,” said Hulick. “So, whether the goal is reduced fuel consumption or enhanced styling — be it for a hybrid or standard engine — LED lighting is simply the best technology available.

OSRAM’s technology — called JOULE JFL2 — integrates the light source and the socket into one package, making it compatible among different vehicle makes and models. The technology debuted in the U.S. this year on three vehicle models using LED in a completely new way including the Cadillac XTS and the Cadillac ATS.

OSRAM’s goal was to provide automakers with an attractive solution to implement LED technology in various applications without paying the premium price tag that typically comes with it.

For more information on OSRAM’s LED technology, visit www.osram.com.