While in Los Angeles for the launch of the new BMW i8, our own Chuck Vossler joins a BMW engineer for a night ride aboard the spectacular BMW i8 to experience the innovative BMW Laser Lights.
From the Fall 2014, BMW will be the first manufacturer worldwide to offer a production vehicle equipped with headlamps featuring a completely new laser light concept.
Compared to the standard LED lights, the optional laser lights ensures a high beam range of up to 600 meters. This means that the already high illumination range of the modern LED high beam is doubled. Thanks to the new laser technology, it is possible to increase energy efficiency by a further 30 percent compared to already highly power-saving LED light.
BMW Laser Light illuminates the road ahead with a significantly higher light intensity without heating up the surrounding area. Laser diodes are ten times smaller than conventional light diodes. They help to save not only available installation space inside the headlamp, but also weight. The size of the reflector surface can be reduced by a factor of up to ten vs. LED light. The height of the reflector has now been reduced from the previous 9 cm to less than 3 cm.
Click below on the video to see the Laser Lights in action.
