Hella Gets World Headlamp on the Road

With the new world headlamp which Hella is launching in summer 2020 for a globally positioned premium manufacturer, a wide range of headlamp variants will become superfluous. In this case, for example, the light is adapted exclusively under software control using an identical SSL 100 light module.

Not all light is the same: how headlamps illuminate the road surface varies from region to region. In the USA, for example, the low beam of a vehicle may illuminate both lanes further into the distance, while in the European Union the focus is more on illuminating one's own lane and minimizing glare for other road users. On the other hand, legislation in the USA only permits the classic main light functions of low beam, fog light and high beam, while in the EU dynamic light distribution up to digitally controlled glare-free high beam is permitted.

In order to ensure the specified light distribution, different optical systems have to be developed and manufactured for vehicle headlamps depending on the area they are going to be used in. Taking into account right-hand and left-hand traffic, up to 12 technically different types of headlamps may therefore be required for a global vehicle model.

With the new world headlamp that the supplier is launching on the market in summer 2020 for a globally positioned premium manufacturer, this variety of variants will become superfluous. The light in this headlamp is adjusted via an identical SSL 100 light module just by controlling it via software. The digital control can activate each pixel individually and display the entire light distribution according to the respective regional regulations. For example, the identical headlamp provides ideal illumination of a roundabout in right-hand or left-hand traffic and prevents oncoming traffic from being dazzled.

Series production of the headlamp will start in the middle of the year at the Mexican plant in Irapuato and end of the year at the Chinese plant in Jiaxing.