New on the shelves

NEW PRODUCT Ring Xenon150 bulb

Latest kit, kicked off by new Ring Xenon headlamp bulb

Price: TBA Contact: ringautomotive.com

JUST in time for the long, dark winter nights, Ring has revealed its latest advance in headlamp bulb technology, the Xenon150, which goes on sale this week.

As its name suggests, the product offers 150 per cent more light somewhere within the beam than a standard bulb.

However, Ring is not the first company to do this, because Philips launched its Racingvision bulb this time last year. That also claimed a 150 per cent increase, but the Dutch firm admitted its product wouldn’t last as long as other performance bulbs, with a lifetime of around 200 hours.

Ring says the Xenon150 achieves the extra light output without compromising lifespan when compared with other performance lamps. It claims the bulb delivers an 80-metre longer beam than standard and it is whiter at 3,700 Kelvin, making it closer to daylight and improving reflections from signs and markings. Philips rates its bulb at 3,500 Kelvin.

The improved light output has been achieved by the common technique of using a tighter-wound, shorter filament and burning it harder. Less common is the use of 100 per cent xenon gas in the bulb, which may explain the lifetime claims, because it was always included to extend durability.

Despite the improved performance, the bulb – which is available in H7 and double-filament H4 versions – is E-marked and road legal. It is also a direct swap for standard lamps without any modification to the car.