When will we see LED's in automotive headlights?

[Levi]

We are coming close. Today only premium cars offer full LED headlights: BMW 6 Series, Mercedes CLS, Audi A8, Porsche Cayenne. With time smaller cars are going to get full LED headlights. Also bikes are going to get full LED headlights, the fisrt bike ever is the new Ducati 1199 Panigale.

[n2oinferno]

Originally Posted by Sony

That is basically whats being done, but LED's naturally are wide output light sources. They output in all directions, so like I said the newer ones are using micro-reflectors built into the LED's themselves to create narrow angle output, which they can then use to focus the light.

Doesn't directional vs omnidirectional depend on the type of LED or the focusing housing though?

[Sony]

Originally Posted by n2oinferno

Doesn't directional vs omnidirectional depend on the type of LED or the focusing housing though?

It depends on the reflector (i.e. focusing housing like you said), most new SMD LED's have a tiny reflector built into the LED itself. This assists the larger reflector you see around the LED to focus and concentrate the light coming from the source much more easily.