Audi Pure light technology - the first all-LED headlight in the world

Quality isn't the only word that seats Audi above all the automotive giants. It has to be coupled with perseverance to define that perfect combo which makes Audi what it is today. Audi has always believed in taking the lead be it whatever aspect of designing, which ensures a better drive for the Audi drivers.

audi first all led headlight

Since 1992 Light-Emitting Diodes or as we familiarly call them LEDs or rather red LEDs have been used increasingly for high-level brake lights, as well for tail lights and regular brake lights. Audi became the first manufacturer to feature peripheral white LEDs as daytime running lights, first on the Audi A8 W12 in 2004 and then on the Audi S6, Audi R8 and Audi A5/S5 from 2006.

Audi is now premiering the first and only headlight unit in the world to deploy LEDs for all of the front lighting functions. Apart from the daytime running lights, these functions comprise the turn signals and the dipped beam and main beam headlights. Various groups of LEDs, known as arrays, produce the correct light distribution and brightness. Each headlight unit has a total of 54 LED light sources.

Each light unit consists of a housing, a chip or chip array, a circuit board and a heat sink. Electric ventilators ensure effective heat dissipation and also defrost the headlight units.

We are today living in a world where economic use of resources, be it in any sense, has become an indispensable act which is why this new Pure Light Technology from Audi becomes important. The outstanding benefits of LED technology include its low energy consumption (50 watts for the dipped beam headlights, 6 watts for the daytime running lights), a color that is similar to daylight for enhanced contrast and more pleasant visual perception, the non-wearing design, lower voltage requirements, compact dimensions and the increased freedom of design.

As always Audi Does things ahead of times and another proof of this discreet ability was the fact that a special permit from the EU had to pave the way for incorporating front-lighting LED technology into series production ahead of schedule. This is because the corresponding EU regulation was not expected to come into force before 2008. Audi is a founding member of the working party that was set up in 2003 to bring about speedy approval for advanced and powerful lighting technology.

audi r8

The LED headlight that will in future be available as an option for the Audi R8 is made up of the following components: LED dipped beam headlights as the primary function. Here, basic light distribution is taken care of by LED arrays, each consisting of four chips, which shine out of free-form reflectors. A further three two-chip LED arrays for light in the region of the light-dark boundary and for the headlight range are located behind the lens. Directly adjacent to this is the main beam headlight comprising one four-chip LED array inside each of the two reflector shells. The 24 white LEDs for the daytime running lights are distinctively positioned along the bottom edge of the headlight unit, giving it a three-dimensional and sophisticated appearance.

The turn signal with its eight yellow high-brightness LEDs is placed on the top edge of the headlight unit pointing towards the single-frame grille, where it combines with the strip of LED daytime running lights to form a frame around the headlight.

[Courtesy: Audi]