interesting article.
I don’t deny they’re faster (that’s why I dislike them); I’m saying it does NOT take .25 seconds for an incandescent bulb to work.
0.25 seconds is the time between quarter notes in a (very) uptempo song; or eighth notes in a slower song. If turning on your bathroom lights took… the same amount of time it took Ringo to hit the snare twice in “Love Me Do”… believe me, you’d notice.
Well, look at the plot in the report - 0.25 seconds for a conventional bulb to reach ~90%. You may not believe it, but it look to be correct. And it’s hard to test on your own, you don’t know when the guy in front hit the brakes, just when the light’s visible.
^And I think that’s what I said: 0.25 to FULL intensity, maybe, but they “work” much earlier.
And I “test” when I install a bulb in a hot socket. I get light pretty much instantaneously. (And that report says they begin working in 50 msec. Only 1/20 of a second. Still seems “slow,” but whatever.)
I notice a significant difference, like you, so there must be some significant delay involved.
The time to 50%, perhaps a more realistic number, is about 140 ms.
found another article: https://chemlinks.beloit.edu/BlueLight/pages/hp/an1155-3.pdf
Two studies conclude that LED signals provide a braking response time advantage between 170 and 200 ms under favorable lighting conditions and up to 300 ms under adverse lighting conditions
It’s really apparent when the car in front of you has an LED 3rd brake light and incandescent regular brake lights.
BMW has laser headlights!
bmw.com/com/en/insights/technology/technology_guide/articles/laser_light.html
BMW "In the laser headlight, the beams of light are bundled together to attain a luminous intensity that is ten times greater than conventional light sources such as halogen, xenon or LED. BMW Laserlight has a visual range of up to 600 metres, twice that of a headlight with conventional light technology.
BMW Laserlight surpasses energy efficiency compared with already highly effective LED light technology by a further 30 percent, thereby providing considerably greater light intensity and a marked reduction in electricity consumption.
The laser diodes are ten times smaller than conventional light diodes, enabling the height of the reflector to be reduced from 9 cm to less than 3 cm. This, in turn, creates more space in the headlight and also reduces weight, thereby creating new design possibilities for the vehicle.
BMW Laserlight takes the coherent and monochromatic blue laser beams and transforms them into harmless white light. This is done by using special lenses to direct the beams emitted by three high-performance laser diodes onto a fluorescent phosphorous substance inside the laser light source. This fluorescent substance converts the beams into a white light, still with a very high intensity, which the human eye finds particularly pleasant due to its close similarity to daylight. Following conversion of the laser beams, the harmless, dispersed light is projected forward by the headlight unit.
The laser headlight is also equipped with automatic headlight range control to keep the beam of light at a pre-set level, no matter whether the vehicle is driving uphill or downhill, whether it is fully laden or whether the driver is the sole occupant.
All these characteristics make BMW Laserlight the ideal high-beam light source for automobiles. It combines high light intensity with optimal energy efficiency and extra-small dimensions. The outstanding illumination range of the BMW Laserlight facilitates even better visibility and enhanced foresight when driving in the dark. The result is a relaxed and comfortable ride and increased safety on the road."
LED headlights and brake lights have been in use for about ten years. LED headlights are usually only found in luxury cars. LED brake lights can be found on many vehicles, commonly used in the center brake light.
I’m not sure if you can identify a LED headlight from a HID on oncoming traffic without being familiar with the appearance of each.
The expense of LED lamps has come down, a replacement headlamp assembly for a 2008 Lexus LS600H costs $3,800, for a 2014 Lexus IS250, only $1,300.
“laser headlight” ? sounds like “marketer-speak” to me, ie, marketing BS.
There are aftermarket LED headlight conversions for motorcycles.
http://www.cyclopsadventuresports.com/3800-Lumen-H4-LED-Headlight-bulb-_p_83.html
I have considered converting my bike to LED headlights and tail lights not so much for extra brightness but to free up some electrical capacity for the current draw of heated clothing. Small bikes with permanent magnet alternators don’t exactly have electrical capacity to spare.
I could be wrong, but I think the “laser beam” connotation refers to a center in the lens that focuses part of the beam into a more focused (less beamwidth, more concentrated) beam center. It’s a bit more than “marketingspeak” but I think the term “laser” is misleading. That part is pure marketing.
TSM: As I’m sure you know, laser (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) has a very specific definition, and no kind of lens can get around that…
But we are deluged every day by marketingspeak…
I agree. That’s why I think it’s misleading. It’s not laser light, not coherent light, it’s just a focusing lens.
I agree with your second point too. Way too much marketing speak.
What ever happened to “see the USA in your Chevrolet”? 
Remember this advertising slogan from about 30 years ago, maybe even further back
“Oh oh oh oh what a feeling . . . Toyota!”
I thought it was appropriate, since this thread was started by Robert, who is driving a Toyota Camry
A few years ago, a colleague bought a CPO Toyota. The next day, he noticed one of the trim pieces on the inside was actually missing. I think it was something minor
He went back to the dealer. He showed them where the missing trim pieces should be. He showed them the invoice, which shows he’d just bought the car.
Then he looked at the salesman, smiled and said “I’m not getting that feeling.”
The salesman, who probably was far too young to even remember the slogan, gave him a deer in the headlights look. Blank stare. Nobody home.
Then the salesman looked at my colleague and said “Okay. Whatever. We’ll order that part for you.”
Read the article about the laser headlights - it’s correct, a laser is used, with the single wavelength light converted to broad spectrum light inside the headlight assembly.
I read it, I’ll reserve judgement until I see a third party review.
It’s BMW so it’s a “money is no object” approach. The goal of the headlight was to save fuel, but with so many of their models already on the gas tax list, I don’t think this technology will be enough. It’s like spending $10,000 to save a penny.
If it has other benefits such as more streamlining, more accurate and better lighting for high speed driving, they may use it as they have customers that don’t mind paying.
It does use a semi-conductor laser similar to those used in laser pointers but it is not as coherent as gas or solid state lasers.
Personally I think this approach is like using a jack hammer to drive a thumbtack, but someone will buy it.
There was this porter at the dealership who always went dumpster-diving . . . on the premises, no less, in FULL view of the customers . . . for aluminum cans and plastic bottles
A few times, his intercom would be buzzing, WHILE he was completely submerged in a dumpster
Then he’d crawl out, answer the phone, and say “I’ll bring the car right up, boss”
Then he’d get the car from the backlot, and drive it up to the service drive. Naturally, he looked like Pigpen from “Peanuts” and he stunk accordingly, also. That’s what happens when you dive in a dumpster
The customers would see he whole scenario play out
Anyways . . . somebody once decided to play a joke on this guy
They used epoxy glue to secure a penny to the concrete floor of the shop
The porter soon spotted it and tried to pick it up. When it didn’t work, he left
He soon returned with a crowbar, hammer and chisel . . . !
It wasn’t me who planted the penny. But the guys who did it were watching the whole thing, out of sight, and were rolling over with laughter