European carmakers are discovering that while legislators may be ahead on emissions and fuel tech, they are dull on headlight rules.
Audi's Matrix headlights Image: Audi |
Audi are amongst the manufacturers who have fallen foul of US headlight legislation. Their new matrix LED headlamps will currently only appear on the 2013 A8 exective express in Europe, as US regs are still to catch up with the latest technology.
According to the German carmaker, the headlamp design combines more precise lighting for the driver, less blinding light to oncoming cars and mid-beams for roads with not much traffic.
But the US National Highway Transportation Administration (NHTSA) has failed give its approval to the innovative automotive lighting, claiming it doesn't fit their fixed classification of low and high beams.
Also challenging the NHTSA's categories are rivals BMW, Mercedes-Benz and GM, who are all working on smart lighting systems. BMW is even developing laser headlamps, which provide white lighting that can be modulated and uses minimal energy.
There's plenty of innovation packed into a seemingly simple part of a car. Matrix lighting, for example, has multiple segments that can be turned on or off as conditions require; swivel as the car corners and, when linked to next-generation GPS, will even begin to move before the steering wheel is turned.
Multi-function cameras watch for oncoming vehicles and can distinguish between headlights and other kinds of lighting. Audi's A2 concept car is even capable of watching for pedestrians alongside the road. In daylight, the camera can double as a forward collision warning camera if the car doesn’t have adaptive cruise control radar.