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Xenon headlights, easily recognizable because of their distinctive bluish-white appearance, not only enhance driver visibility and pedestrian safety at night, they also offer motorists a way to reduce their vehicle’s impact on the environment, according to the Motor Vehicle Lighting Council (MVLC).
“The benefits of xenon extend beyond the ability to provide greatly enhanced nighttime driving,” says Jeremy Denton, the MVLC's executive director. “Xenon reduces the impact on the environment by being an energy efficient lighting source and offering a longer service life to vehicle owners.”
In normal usage, an HID bulb, also known as xenon, should not require replacement over the life of the vehicle. A longer service life means fewer or no bulb replacements, and this translates into a reduction in the amount of bulbs that are discarded every year.
According to the MVLC, the average life of a xenon headlight is 3,000 hours, compared to 1,000 hours for halogen headlamps, based on the average consumer headlamp usage cycle. Xenon lights last longer than traditional halogen light sources because there is no filament to wear out or replace.
In addition to the longer service life, xenon is a more energy efficient alternative to halogen, the MVLC adds. Xenon typically generates three times more light than halogen while using up to 40 percent less power. Reduced power usage also equates to lower fuel consumption.
The Motor Vehicle Lighting Council is a product line group of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA). For more information, visit www.mvlc.info.
