This doesn’t fix a major problem. 1 headlights should be adjustable by the person buying the vehicle.
2. Headlights like these allow people to who don’t know how to use them to do dangerous things like drive through fog with their headlights on to the point where their headlights aren’t just blinding them, but also blinding others. They don’t turn them off. They are entirely reliant on the headlights to be automatic and the computer to decide if/when the headlights belong on.
Edit: Also, no I don’t want a headlight that costs $2000-5000. Thank you, but no.
They cost $2,000 in a market where it’s considered a luxury upgrade. They wouldn’t cost the vendor that much if they were standard on every vehicle. Look at the price of upgraded stereo systems in cars. The components cost about $100 and they charge customers over $1, 000 as an add-on.
My good sir (ma’am, or theydy), you sound like someone who’s never had to replace something like that out of pocket. Parts and labor. And possible diagnosis time.
To get an OEM factory part for a stereo system in lots of vehicles is expensive as fuck. and a lot of the time to get to the silly computer that runs the system you have to take apart the dash and or center console. I know this because I used to do that as a job.
Headlights used to be a few hundred bucks. Wing mirrors used to be a few hundred bucks. They cost around $2000 now. that’s a wild amount of money and these things are drive by a whole separate module that a lot of the time is attached to know or both of the lights.
Car manufacturers still have components on backorder from the backlog caused by the pandemic. And Generative AI is causing all kinds of components shortages. I wasn’t making an exaggeration about the cost. Parts and labor, because manufacturers are making it harder and harder to work on your own vehicles is gonna cost the average person.
We aren’t talking about walking into car toys here. I’m basing my price range off what it’ll cost when it comes with the vehicle and what it would cost to replace at a dealership with a factory part.
Headlights used to cost like $20. The whole damned thing. They were mandated standardized sealed-beam units that you could get in round or rectangle. That was it. Every garage/gas station and auto store had them and it was a cinch (usually) to swap out. We pooched it by letting the auto manufacturers have freedom of design. Sure cars fronts would look a little samey and aero be damned, but the economy of scale would likely keep prices way lower. Probably. Maybe. Or they could just ensure they shaft everyone on every car. I reckon that’s the more likely outcome.
Intelligent car headlights can cost as little as $200 to produce.
I understand what you are saying about added complexity and difficulty to replace.
This is a matter of public safety though. People die because they are blinded by other drivers headlights. It’s also a quality of life issue. Nobody is happy with the brightness of modern headlights.
I mentioned the car stereo as an example because the components are ridiculously cheap to produce. Terrible quality tweeters that are installed in Bose and Harmon Kardon systems cost about $3 per pair to produce. If you want to buy OEM replacement you pay about $120, for the same $3 speakers.
While there won’t be a big aftermarket selling compatible headlights I think car makers will be installing them at cost into every car, rather than profiting from people who select an expensive and overpriced add-on.
I have ADHD and I don’t want more smarts in cars. I am not doubting that everyone can do it (look at you Ford and Dodge with your 360 camera systems and heated mirrors and so on). But at a time when electronics are going through the roof as far as cost is concerned to the point where large companies are having trouble ordering stuff (and still trying to cope with global backorders of those same electronic modules and components from the pandemic), I gotta tell ya, I feel like things like this enable people who shouldn’t be on the road because they don’t know the features of their vehicle and want it to do everything for them. Everyone should know how to and be able to turn on and off all their lights. I’ve seen people blind other people in parking lots, not even on the road because they can’t turn off their own lights. I’ve seen people who don’t know the difference between daytime running lights and automatic headlights, and I’ve been blinded by people driving in fog who didn’t have the common sense to turn off their lights or turn off automatic brights.
As much as I hate being blinded by people who can’t aim their own headlights because car makers have made it basically impossible to do it yourself on purpose, I don’t necessarily view this as a better solution because of all the use cases where it makes people more dangerous to others on the road.
This doesn’t fix a major problem. 1 headlights should be adjustable by the person buying the vehicle. 2. Headlights like these allow people to who don’t know how to use them to do dangerous things like drive through fog with their headlights on to the point where their headlights aren’t just blinding them, but also blinding others. They don’t turn them off. They are entirely reliant on the headlights to be automatic and the computer to decide if/when the headlights belong on.
Edit: Also, no I don’t want a headlight that costs $2000-5000. Thank you, but no.
They cost $2,000 in a market where it’s considered a luxury upgrade. They wouldn’t cost the vendor that much if they were standard on every vehicle. Look at the price of upgraded stereo systems in cars. The components cost about $100 and they charge customers over $1, 000 as an add-on.
My good sir (ma’am, or theydy), you sound like someone who’s never had to replace something like that out of pocket. Parts and labor. And possible diagnosis time.
To get an OEM factory part for a stereo system in lots of vehicles is expensive as fuck. and a lot of the time to get to the silly computer that runs the system you have to take apart the dash and or center console. I know this because I used to do that as a job.
Headlights used to be a few hundred bucks. Wing mirrors used to be a few hundred bucks. They cost around $2000 now. that’s a wild amount of money and these things are drive by a whole separate module that a lot of the time is attached to know or both of the lights.
Car manufacturers still have components on backorder from the backlog caused by the pandemic. And Generative AI is causing all kinds of components shortages. I wasn’t making an exaggeration about the cost. Parts and labor, because manufacturers are making it harder and harder to work on your own vehicles is gonna cost the average person.
We aren’t talking about walking into car toys here. I’m basing my price range off what it’ll cost when it comes with the vehicle and what it would cost to replace at a dealership with a factory part.
Headlights used to cost like $20. The whole damned thing. They were mandated standardized sealed-beam units that you could get in round or rectangle. That was it. Every garage/gas station and auto store had them and it was a cinch (usually) to swap out. We pooched it by letting the auto manufacturers have freedom of design. Sure cars fronts would look a little samey and aero be damned, but the economy of scale would likely keep prices way lower. Probably. Maybe. Or they could just ensure they shaft everyone on every car. I reckon that’s the more likely outcome.
$20 in 1990 would be $50 today. They burned out and had to be replaced
Intelligent car headlights can cost as little as $200 to produce.
I understand what you are saying about added complexity and difficulty to replace.
This is a matter of public safety though. People die because they are blinded by other drivers headlights. It’s also a quality of life issue. Nobody is happy with the brightness of modern headlights.
I mentioned the car stereo as an example because the components are ridiculously cheap to produce. Terrible quality tweeters that are installed in Bose and Harmon Kardon systems cost about $3 per pair to produce. If you want to buy OEM replacement you pay about $120, for the same $3 speakers.
While there won’t be a big aftermarket selling compatible headlights I think car makers will be installing them at cost into every car, rather than profiting from people who select an expensive and overpriced add-on.
My Rivian does this with high beams and I can’t understate how awesome it is as someone with ADHD. If Rivian can do it, everyone can.
I have ADHD and I don’t want more smarts in cars. I am not doubting that everyone can do it (look at you Ford and Dodge with your 360 camera systems and heated mirrors and so on). But at a time when electronics are going through the roof as far as cost is concerned to the point where large companies are having trouble ordering stuff (and still trying to cope with global backorders of those same electronic modules and components from the pandemic), I gotta tell ya, I feel like things like this enable people who shouldn’t be on the road because they don’t know the features of their vehicle and want it to do everything for them. Everyone should know how to and be able to turn on and off all their lights. I’ve seen people blind other people in parking lots, not even on the road because they can’t turn off their own lights. I’ve seen people who don’t know the difference between daytime running lights and automatic headlights, and I’ve been blinded by people driving in fog who didn’t have the common sense to turn off their lights or turn off automatic brights.
As much as I hate being blinded by people who can’t aim their own headlights because car makers have made it basically impossible to do it yourself on purpose, I don’t necessarily view this as a better solution because of all the use cases where it makes people more dangerous to others on the road.