Types of Automotive Headlamps; How they Work, Advantages, and Disadvantages

There are three common types of headlamps used to provide motor vehicle lighting: halogen, High-Intensity Discharge (HID), and Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs). While they all serve the same purpose—to light up the road and facilitate night driving, they have some key differences. 

Among the three, halogen headlamps are the oldest and usually provide yellowish beams. HID and LED usually glow white (although you can find other colours). They also have varying brightness, durability, and efficiency.

This article explains the three different types of motor vehicle headlamps, their advantages, and their disadvantages.

• Halogen headlamps

A halogen headlamp comprises a transparent glass capsule that has a tungsten filament, some inert gases, and a small amount of halogen. The filament gets heated and glows when an electric current passes through it.

Halogen headlamps produce a lot of heat, hence consuming more energy than LED and HID. They are also less bright and do not last as long as the other two. However, they are inexpensive to buy and readily available.

• HID/Xenon headlamps

Just like halogen headlamps, HID also uses gas to produce light. However, the work of the gas in HID headlamps is to provide light and not to support the filament like in halogen.

Unlike halogen which uses a filament, HID produces light using an electric arc between two tungsten electrodes. The xenon gas enclosed in the glass capsule helps to establish the arc and produce light.

HID headlamps are brighter and more efficient than halogen and also last longer. However, they are more expensive to buy and not easily accessible. HID lamps take longer to reach maximum brightness after being switched on. They are also less energy efficient than LED.

• LED headlamps

LED are the most modern and rare motor vehicle headlights. They are mostly found in high-end vehicles. They are the brightest, most efficient, and most durable of the three. Unlike HID and halogen, LED does not use gas to produce light. It uses small diodes that emit light when an electric current passes through them. They are more flexible and can be easily configured into unique shapes and patterns.

LED headlights are harder and more expensive to produce than HID and halogen. This makes them more expensive to buy.