LED IS A TECHNOLOGY THAT IS STILL EVOLVING AND GROWING IN POPULARITY
JUST HOW POPULAR?
LED technology may have evolved to fill a pocket left open by halogen and HID technology, but does this translate to higher sales?
“Here at Lightforce, we’ve found that our hybrid HTX, with the combination of both HID and LED technology, sells the best,” Gamtcheff told us. “Whilst the popularity of LED is definitely increasing, halogen and especially HID still have a strong market share.
“Halogen lights are competitively priced and retain a warmer colour temperature of about 3300 Kelvin, which some drivers prefer. HID lights will always produce the longest beams (over 1 lux at 2km with a Lightforce XGT), which some drivers value. LED, however, seems to be filling a gap in the market – whether it be a flood beam for broad close-range lighting, or a driving beam for forward lighting, LED is a technology that is growing in popularity.”
Great Whites’ Steve Mitchell told us that since the introduction of its first LED driving lights in March, 2012, the sales of HID and halogen lights have seen a steady decline in Australia. “This effect can be seen across the board from trucking and four-wheel drive applications, to work lights in the mining and industrial sectors,” he said.
Brett Tunley at Ultra Vision reckons, across the industry, HID and halogen sales have dropped 40 per cent per year for the past three years. “This seems to have levelled off now, but overall the market has expanded with many people buying light bars for smaller vehicles that would never have run halogens,” he told us. DIY
ALL of the manufacturers agreed that fitting a set of lights is a pretty straightforward affair for those handy with tools, but it’s recommended that the average punter get the LEDS fitted by a qualified auto electrician – especially when it comes to the wiring.
“The fitment of the physical lights themselves is definitely something the end user can do without the need for an expert fitter,” Narva Australia’s Jo Banks said. “The wiring up of LED lights is no harder than other lights. Many leading lighting companies supply a range of Plug and Play Wiring Harness which makes the job nice and easy. We supply premium quality harnesses that are tagged for easy installation, A goes to B etc.”