BMW will be the first automaker in the world to offer laser light headlamps on a production vehicle when the BMW i8 goes into production later this year. Available as an option, the laser headlamps offer a high beam range of up to 600m (1,968 feet), essentially doubling the high beam range of the standard LED headlights of the i8.
The laser diodes are ten times smaller than conventional light diodes, this not only help save installation space inside the headlights but also weight. The size of the reflector surface is reduced by a factor of up to ten vs. LED light. The height of the reflector has also been reduced from 9cm to less than 3cm.
Several high-performance diodes emit a strongly bundled beam via special lenses onto a fluorescent phosphorus substance inside the headlight. This substance transforms the beam into an exceptionally bright white light that is ten times more intensive than conventional light sources. Due to their highly intensive and virtually ideal beam properties, laser diodes render the overall system even more efficient. In conjunction with the camera-aided digital highbeam assistant, dazzling of oncoming traffic of vehicles ahead is eliminated.
The laser light technology will be gradually applied to other BMW models.