Few of us think about how we came to drive in the dark. We take for granted that our vehicle's engine generates power for our headlights, fog lights or LED bars. Nowadays, all kinds of specialized lighting can be attached to vehicles. Turning the night around us into day is a truly amazing human feat, one that has only been fully realized in our very recent history.
How, you may ask, did we get here? Here is a brief history of automotive lighting.
Carriage lights
The first "horseless carriages" bore their origins on their handles. Designed using traditional carriage building techniques, they were equipped with lighting more suited to horse-drawn transportation.
Carriage lights, which early automobiles used, were not particularly useful for seeing at night. Rather, they were designed to warn others of an approaching vehicle. They were powered by oil or candlelight and reflected light through a reflective inner lens.
Mechanical lamps
In 1908, automotive lighting technology took a big step forward when Sally Windmüller invented directed acetylene carbide headlights. Carbide is a combustible element that can be fueled by a flame. These lamps were difficult to use and required an expensive fuel source, but they increased visibility to nearly 300 yards, a vast improvement over candle and oil lamps. These lamps were mechanical and could be operated from the cabin.
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 direct current was expensive to produce, only the most luxurious cars were equipped with electric headlights.
In the 1920s, however, alternators and dynamos were developed to allow cheap and efficient power generation from the car's engine.
Halogen Lamps
One of the problems with conventional electric lamps is that the filament can dissolve, resulting in deterioration of light quality and an uneven "halo" of light. In 1961, it was discovered that halogen gas allowed the tungsten filament molecules to reattach after dissolving. This discovery was revolutionary and allowed the bulbs to last a long time. Coincidentally, the company that patented this technology was HELLA, the company founded by mechanical lamp inventor Sally Windmüller.
LED lights
The light-emitting diode, or LED, is the next big step forward in vehicle lighting technology. LED light sources are solid-state light cells that are extremely efficient, powerful and reach full brightness much faster than conventional electric lamps. In recent years, fog lights, search lights and third-party LED light bars have become popular with contractors and emergency responders. They produce a dazzlingly bright beam without consuming too much power.
Automakers are just beginning to install LED lighting as standard equipment. The first car to incorporate this feature was the Audi R8, which is not a particularly normal or affordable car by any means.