VIDEO: BMW explains i8’s laser headlamp tech

The BMW i8 plug-in hybrid sports car is the first mass-production car in the world to make use of laser technology in its headlamps. All lighting components on the BMW i8 – including indicators – are LED as standard, but laser can be specified for the high-beam as a cost option.

When in use, the laser headlamps give off a pure white light that’s five times brighter than conventional LED units, offers twice the visibility range and uses less than half the energy, all the while being pleasant to the human eye. Thanks to a light-emitting surface that’s 100 times smaller, the beam is more focussed as well, which should reduce dazzle for oncoming drivers.

Watch the video above to learn more, or digest the full details of the BMW i8 here.

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Jonathan James Tan

While most dream of the future, Jonathan Tan dreams of the past, although he's never been there. Fantasises much too often about cruising down Treacher Road (Jalan Sultan Ismail) in a Triumph Stag that actually works, and hopes this stint here will snap him back to present reality.

 

Comments

  • naqib on Dec 18, 2013 at 6:21 pm

    must be expensive like hell just for the headlamp only

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 0
  • venven81 on Dec 18, 2013 at 7:27 pm

    it certainly is a cool technology to feature in a car but… isn’t 300 meter of visibility using LED high beam good enough? 600 meter? i suppose the i8 can go real fast that it will cover 300 meter in no time and thus LED high beam doesn’t qualified to be used. hmm…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 1
    • SamShowedMeTheHilux on Dec 19, 2013 at 3:43 pm

      Pariah scum BMW should come out with 5 years warranty instead of all this crap. Nobody interested. BMW owners want longer warranties. Not your tipu 2 years warranty. Only car company in the world, not just Malaysia, that is offering ONLY 2 years warranty

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 15
      • Sam LoLL!! on Dec 19, 2013 at 11:45 pm

        Hi please stick with your hilux for the rest of your life.Toyota have the best warranty and RV in the world,so leave us alone.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
  • im worried about the intensity of the light, if you were to look into the mirror im sure you’d get blinded by its brightness, as he said it has a smaller surface area for the light to emit, this is only more worrying as despite being “safe” for human eyes, i really doubt its going to be pleasant to look at, and as the others said, its not necessary for car headlights to be too bright as well.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 3
  • can’t imagine the oncoming car, those laser will be blinding their eye temporary

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 4
  • fatchicken on Dec 18, 2013 at 8:43 pm

    If everyone bought a bmw with this laser beam the government can switch off all the street lights to save the planet !!! bmw is better than ferrari !

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 17 Thumb down 2
  • gavincsy on Dec 18, 2013 at 8:49 pm

    how far can a human eye, actually see

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 2
  • jolly_idiot on Dec 18, 2013 at 9:35 pm

    Laser beam headlight. Will it cut any object/car in front of it?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 9
    • alldisc on Dec 19, 2013 at 7:57 am

      seems like something coming from Austin Power movies…

      but in actual fact, car manufacturers are also coming up with laser spark plugs for petrol engines which dont require replacement at all.

      brilliant, right?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • this idea is not so new. It normal idea for me. It just BMW is the first car maker to materialize it. So, from my perspective it is good but nothing to “wow” about it…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 24
    • fatchicken on Dec 19, 2013 at 1:40 pm

      Ya the idea of flying to moon also not new to me. It just that the russian materialize it. nothing to wow.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 19 Thumb down 0
  • Tis is real R&D…hire the best..unlike Potong, received hundreds of millions from gomen for ” R &D” each year but came up with endless ” SV” models

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 16 Thumb down 15
  • Tree Hugger on Dec 19, 2013 at 1:05 am

    This entry title is a bit misleading. Neither the article nor the video explains the tech. They just talk about how good the laser light is. It’s more like an ad to promote BMW i8 feature.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 0
    • Josh Ling on Dec 19, 2013 at 7:25 am

      ya, even now i don’t know how the light can actually be pleasant to human eyes, and offers all the visibility. were the lights in the video on high beam or they were still on low beam? it seems BMW doesn’t even bother to show the difference between LED high beam vs LED Laser high beam to human eyes.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • Wayangkulit on Dec 19, 2013 at 8:13 am

    Malaysian ah beng car enthusiast will install lasers on their headlamps, fog lamps, signal lights, third brake lights and blind the shit out of other car users.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 1
    • hate annoying driver on Dec 19, 2013 at 9:04 am

      ya..agree,many “spot light” car on the road but still slow like turtle.very doubtful are they blind or what..install laser n point to their rear view mirror next time ..

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
      • macromedia on Dec 19, 2013 at 9:40 am

        LOL! so true! First LED, now LASER. Next missile launcher. James Bond, anyone?

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
  • when they fix it on the car dont u think the researchers already did their homework? even a proper HID or LED lights are projected on to the ground now like those ah beng Myvis or Potong Zaka with HID adjusted so Hai like the driver and iritate other motorists

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
  • In geman autoband highway, u need this kind of laser light as this I8 can easily travel above 100mph, and u need highbeam light to see as far as u can.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
  • Philip on Dec 19, 2013 at 11:00 pm

    I wonder how it performs in heavy rain and fog conditions?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Alex Yong on Dec 21, 2013 at 4:28 pm

    White light has very short wave length. It is useless in heavy rain, fog or when the road is wet.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 2
 

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