May 6, 2013,  Smittybilt LED  No comments

Smittybilt is one of my favorite brands.  This is not just because their parts and accessories are outstanding and their prices are great, but also because the story of Smittybilt is the epitome of the original true American dream to me.

If I was to have a motto, mantra or anything else it would be this: See a need, fill a need.  Yes, I know that it is a quote from the animated movie Robots, but it is something that has always been true to me since I was a kid.

In the Beginning

Now, I bet you are wondering why I would have written that in regards to an article about Smittybilt.  This is simply because that is exactly what a man named Basil Smith did.  Every great thing begins with a dream.  Smittybilt was no different.  Mr. Smith was an enthusiast for all things 4 wheel drive...

March 2, 2013,  Car LED Lights  No comments

Bold advances in the solid-state technologies have seen companies make more progress in developing more powerful LED lighting devices that can be applied in both interior and exterior lighting. These LED devices are increasingly finding wide application in the automotive lighting industry but not as main beam headlamps. That is an arena that is still dominated by HID xenon conversion lights which have been used in the industry since the mid 20th century. LED car lights are  however applied in more limited function such as the LED turn signals, car reading light, car fog lights or the LED reverse lights.

LED Headlamps used in the Audi RoadJet Concept

The LED car lighting technology is approaching the performance levels of the HID halogen-powered automotive lighting and they are more fuel e...

December 20, 2012,  Headlamps  No comments

Like many technological devices, headlamps have been undergoing a great deal of innovation over the past few decades. Changing the vehicle headlamps can be a difficult process because the headlamps are made from a single type. While you can make replacements to your headlamps, increasing luminosity might require you to purchase a new  car altogether.  The vehicle headlamps fall into multiple categories depending on the technology employed by the manufacturer. The older versions were halogen-powered and had several destinations such as H1, H4 and H7.  Halogen lamps are made using a compressed natural gas to ensure longevity by preventing the oxidization of the filament.

Hella LED Headlights

In the early 60s, the more luminous xenon powered headlamps were launched in the auto marketplace...

October 10, 2012,  LED Energy Efficiency  No comments

Making cars more fuel efficient is no longer simply a question of increasing engine efficiency. More auto manufacturers are taking a more holistic approach to improve efficiency in various aspects of the car and one way in which this is being accomplished is through the incorporation of solid state LED lighting to replace or complement the “traditional” halogen powered motor vehicle lighting. LED headlamps vehicles have been found to be more efficient in reducing your carbon emissions and carbon footprints. It is possible to reduce CO2 emissions by as much as 1.6mg per mile through the use of LED lighting technology as opposed to non LED lighting. So why this improvement in efficiency of LED lighting?

LED devices consume 80watts of power in a low beam setting while the corresponding h...

September 15, 2012,  Car LED Light Trends  No comments

The car LED lighting market and technologies are some of the fastest evolving in this niche. Many car LED lighting are quickly advancing to quickly match the performances offered by the halogen-based technologies that have powered the car lighting industry. Industry analysts predict that the car LED lights will eventually phase out the HID halogen powered lighting in the near future . There are lots of current technologies and trends in the LED lighting marketplace. The most talked about is undoubtedly the high power multi-chip LED technology.

The High Power Multi-Chip LED technology seeks to increase the power output or luminous intensity of a single LED through a combination of multiple LED chips...

August 13, 2012,  LED Light Law  No comments

There are many legal considerations that must be borne in mind when you are planning to install LED lighting on your vehicle.  In spite of recent advances in the development or LED lighting technology and its application in the automotive industry, various countries and states still have certain restrictions on their usage. These restrictions usually apply to their application in the vehicle exteriors as the use of semiconductor light sources is because various states have certain regulations vehicle codes regarding the usage of car LED lighting. Each state normally has a traffic act and the rules and regulations differ. In California for example, the use of LED car lights in underglow decorative lighting is for example permitted as long as the lighting is non-glaring or a little diffused...

July 14, 2012,  LED Interior Lighting  No comments

Car LED lighting technology is opening up the interior of the car to more interesting applications.  LED lighting technology comes with lots of flexibility that can be applied in cars in more aesthetic applications and to create a general ambience in the car that brings out the auto brand experience and has a positive impact on your mood. There is a direct correlation between the quality of interior lighting and the general mood as you step into the automobile.  The focus on the design and application of LED car lighting is thus shifting from the more functional aspects.

The more functional application of the LED lighting technology in cars included usage in auto instrument clusters, center consoles, speedometers, radio and air conditioning controls, and even in orientation lighting...

June 25, 2012,  Car LED Lights  No comments

LED car lights have been seeing a surging demand in the automotive marketplace due to a myriad of factors. Technological innovation is bringing their application closer to the industry workhorse, the HID halogen-powered car lighting. LED lamps now find wide application in car interior lighting amongst other application such as car fog lights, car turn signal lights, car license plate lighting, car reading lights, interior lighting and retrofitting and car brake lighting amongst others. When you are choosing car LED lights, there are certain factors that you need to put into consideration to ensure  you get some good quality merchandise.

Before you place an order for any LED car lighting, it is important to have some basic understanding of the various car LED lights that is available in t...

May 2, 2012,  LED Interior Lighting  No comments

As LED applications continue to debut in the automotive industry, one area where they are finding ready deployment and application is in the interior decoration. This is finding currency in the use of car LED lights to improve ambient lighting inside the car and create a very distinctive atmosphere inside your car. While LEDs have been around for decades, widespread adoption and application has been limited by cost and technology. In the recent years, the technology has sufficiently improved while the costs have gone down. While the car LED lighting in the motor vehicle exterior is still limited, motor vehicle manufacturers are maximizing its usage in the interior to offer consumers the ultimate brand experience.

Motor vehicle manufacturers are now using LED technology in retrofitting veh...

April 7, 2012,  LED Automotive Lighting Technology  No comments

More auto manufacturers are now considering LED car lighting to replace the traditional halogen powered lighting or as a hybrid.  LED lighting is based on solid state or semi-conductor technology with the lighting being emitted by the light emitting diodes but its use in auto lighting has been restricted in the past because the technology did not allow  for this. Today over 20 car models are utilizing LEDs in a hybrid function along with the halogen-powered headlamps which still serve as the main high beams.  Most of the low beams in this market segment are now LED-powered. Another emerging application is the use of the LED-technology in the styling of the car and the retrofitting of car interiors.

LED Lighting complements other green technologies for more fuel efficient cars

The LEDs a...