An introduction to xenon lights
You may have never heard of xenon / hid lights, but if you’ve noticed the blue tinge of oncoming vehicle headlights you’ve probably seen them.
Xenon / HID light bulbs (35W) are a upgrade to your conventional halogen bulb (55W). The xenon lights bulbs come in a array of types and colours including yellow, white, blue and purple. The colour output of the bulb is dependant upon kelven rating which ranges from 1,000 to 12,000.
The xenon light is so-called because it’s produced by igniting an electrical arc through xenon gas. This produces 100 lumens per watt (a measure of light) compared with a conventional light's 25 lumens per watt. In addition, the colour of lighting produced by xenon headlights are closer to natural daylight, which makes it less tiring on driver’s eyes.
Advantages of xenon lights:
- Superior light output
- Use less power (9.6v instead of 12)
- Great road coverage
- Clearer visibility
- Excellent in the fog
- No filaments, which is a particular advantage for 4WD and other vehicles that are exposed to knocks and vibrations
- Can last 8 times as long as a conventional globe
