Few of us give much thought to how we came to be able to drive in the dark. We take it for granted that the engine of our vehicle generates power for our headlights, fog lights, or LED bars. These days, all sorts of specialist lighting can be affixed to vehicles. Turning the night around us into day is a truly staggering human feat, and one that has only been comprehensively achieved in our very recent history.
How, you might ask, did we get to this point? What follows is a rather brief history of the automotive light.
Carriage Lamps
The first “horseless carriages” wore their origins on their sleeves. They were designed using traditional coach-building techniques, and had lighting that was more suitable for horse-drawn transport.
Carriage lamps, which the first automobiles used, were not particularly useful for seeing at night. Instead, they were designed in order to let others know of the approaching vehicle. They were powered by oil or candle, and reflected light using a mirrored interior lens.
Mechanical Lamps
In 1908, auto lighting technology took a big step forward when Sally Windmüller invented the directed acetylene carbide headlamps. Carbide is a combustible element that can be fed to a flame. These lamps were hard to use and needed a source of expensive fuel, but they increased visibility to almost 300 meters—a huge improvement over candle and oil lamps. These lamps were mechanical and could be controlled from the cab.
High-Voltage Lamps
Electric lamps began to replace carbide solutions in 1912. In 1914, the legendary Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost was one of the first cars to receive electric lighting. Because DC power generation was expensive, only the most luxurious cars included electric headlamps.
By the 1920s, however, alternators and dynamos had been developed that allowed for cheap and efficient generation of power from the motor of the car.
Halogen Lamps
One problem with conventional electric lights is that the filament can dissolve, leading to a deterioration of light quality and a “halo” of patchy light. In 1961, it was found that halogen gas ensured that tungsten filament molecules reattached after they were dissolved. This was revolutionary and allowed bright bulbs to last for a long time. Coincidentally, the company that patented this technology was HELLA, the firm set up by mechanical lamp inventor Sally Windmüller.
LED Lights
The next great step forward in vehicular lighting technology came in the form of the light-emitting diode, or LED. LED light sources are semiconductor light cells that are extremely efficient, powerful, and reach full brightness far quicker than conventional electric lamps. In recent years, third-party fog lights, search lights, and LED light bars have become popular with contractors and emergency workers. They produce a dazzlingly powerful beam without drawing too much power.
Car manufacturers have only just begun installing LED lighting as a standard feature. The first car to include this feature was the Audi R8—not a particularly normal or affordable car by any stretch of the imagination.
Image Source: Unsplash
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