BMW arms the laser

BMW is set to turn the nighttime into daytime by using laser headlights to effectively double its headlight range.

It will unveil an optional laser headlight unit to supplement the full LED lights on its upcoming i8 hybrid sports car; , which will go on sale in Australia later this year.

BMW will become the first manufacturer to offer laser headlights, which is claims will push nighttime high-beam vision out to more than 600 metres.

Broadly hinted at during the i8 concept car’s unveiling at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show, the laser lights effectively double the range of LED headlights, but use less power.

BMW insists the laser lights use around 30 per cent less energy than an LED system, and has the added benefits of being smaller and lighter, too.

The reflector surface of the i8’s laser light drops by a factor of 10, down to 30mm squared from the LED’s 90mm squared.

It uses high-performance diodes, beamed into special lenses and then passed through a fluorescent phosphorous to generate an intense light that brightens the road without heating up the adjacent area.

This strategy, combined with the active, camera-based digital high-beam assistance system, is said to ensure the lights don’t dazzle oncoming traffic.

The move to production is a significant slap-down for Audi, which spent enormous sums of time and money on its laser light concept for this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January. BMW even ran a tongue-in-cheek ad mocking Audi’s efforts, and now we know why.

The new lights help the three-cylinder, petrol-electric hybrid coupe to stunningly low fuel consumption of just 2.1L/100km, complete with 50km of pure-electric range.