Ford have announced that they are putting LED headlights onto their new Ford Mondeo. The new lights provide just as much light as the previous Xenon light bulbs only this time they will last as long as the vehicle itself.

LED light bulbs are much smaller than the halogen lights offering designers more scope. The lights can be arranged in patterns and controlled individually for lighting effects due to their small size.

Ford Design Manager, Paul Wraith, said: “Slim headlamps can make a vehicle’s exterior appear more determined and aggressive. They help give the appropriate sense of presence and purpose.”

It is also to dim LED lights. Ford Lighting Engineer, Andre Baetz, said:

It should be the main goal of a headlamp to provide the right amount of light according to the driving situation. If this requires dimming the lamps, it can be an advantage. The challenge is not to make headlights dimmable but to recognise the situation when it makes sense to dim the lamps. For example, less light is better suited in the bad weather conditions such as fog or rain. The objective is always to provide enough light to drivers at any possible situations for safety and comfortable driving without negatively affecting other drivers or pedestrians. The LED technology gives better possibilities to distinguish more in shape, colour and amount of light, which can be well recognised by other drivers and pedestrians.

As LED light bulbs consume little power the new Ford Mondeo may have parking lights. Baetz said:

Parking lights on at night give a good reason to use LED light bulbs for the position of light/park functionality. LED light bulbs enable a long-lasting lighting function at reduced power consumption.

High Power LED light bulbs produce a small amount of heat but in a very small area. Ford fitted fans as well as a temperature monitoring system to its headlights to avoid any over-heating problems. Headlights are usually used at night which is cooler anyways.

Ford released an infographic of lighting milestones to go with the release of its new car and lights.

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