Electric vehicles are still fairly new entrants to the market, not including those still on the road from the previous failed influx of electric cars and vans several years back (before the technology caught up to mainstream driving needs). Thanks to their recent entry onto the road alongside gasoline-powered and hybrid vehicles, there are more and more manufacturer-based and aftermarket components available for upgrading electric cars. Still, being relatively new vehicles, many of the most up-to-date vehicular technologies have already been installed on electric vehicles. So if you’re looking for an area where you can still make efficient, cost-effective improvements, consider the area of lighting.
Though lights and cars often aren’t thought of at the same time, the two are inextricably linked. Without effective headlights, for instance, driving at night would be impossible, as would driving through tunnels, rainstorms, and construction zones. By utilizing car lighting intelligently, one can reduce energy expenditure, improve upon lighting capacity, and more. And while headlight upgrades have been dominated by HIDs in recent years, LEDs have been at the forefront of all additional car lighting advances.
Your electric car is an expensive vehicle, rightly so thanks to the advanced technology that allows it to operate at the capacity that it does. Because of this initial expense in electrical power provisions, other car areas may have been left with more typical features rather than adding even further expense to the vehicle’s starting price. Dashboard displays , for instance, hardly require the use of dials and knobs that are still so commonplace. Using LED dash displays, one can get instant, digitized readouts of all important vehicular information (fuel remaining, miles driven, etc.). Plus, it makes the car look more futuristic, an appearance all the more fitting on a car operating with a future-ready electric engine.
Interior car lighting with LEDs can also be helpful. Many car interiors use incandescent bulbs, which waste 90% of their energy on heat production, and which aren’t very optimal for lighting an entire car in the dark. With even just one miniature LED bulb lighting the inside of your electric vehicle, considering the small interior space, you should be able to read roadmaps or search for a lost earring with ease, even at night. Plus, you’ll be putting less of a strain on your car’s battery, considering how many fewer kilowatt hours LED lights require than incandescent lamps.
Beyond all of that, however, is the area on cars that are most often upgraded using LEDs, electric or not. Tail lights on vehicles that look dim or dated aren’t only poor contributors to your vehicle’s exterior appearance, but they also reduce your safety. Your electric vehicle is likely already smaller in size than many vehicles on the road, lowering its likelihood of being seen. Pair that with dead or dying headlights and it’s possible that your car would not be noticed by drivers to your vehicle’s rear, resulting in a potential collision that could easily be avoided with bright headlights. If you’ve ever seen LED tail lights in action, you know how bright they can be. Vivid with dense light production, LED lights on the tail of the car are bold, red, and nearly impossible to miss. Many Altezza tail lights utilize LEDs, and there are many aftermarket options available from WinJet, Spec-D, and more across the web.
Even when you go to purchase a new Nissan Leaf or Chevy Volt, there’s a solid chance the showroom display lights are LEDs as well. Thanks to Apple and many other high tech companies using LED lights to emphasizes clean, modern design and excellent efficiency, many car companies and others have copied this approach to create ultramodern, sleek showroom designs of their own. Granted, these lights may only make your electric vehicle brighter on the outside and make no difference to the actual quality of your car, but companies using LEDs will save substantially on energy costs over time, so perhaps those savings can be passed on to you (hey, your electric vehicle was pricey, so any help counts!).
Electric vehicles will continue to make headway in terms of market share as the next few years pass. As this happens, the number of aftermarket electric vehicle parts will grow exponentially, as will the number of add-on components utilizing LEDs. Should the green movement continue to focus on contributions on the parts of electric vehicles and LED lights, both these highly efficient advancements should share an increase in awareness and use across the spectrum, whether they’re sold separately or bundled together as an energy-efficient package.
