KuroNekko wrote:SamirD wrote:Very interesting. I noticed PIAA has scaled back their halogen product range. I hope that the JDM products do find their way here as LED fogs and mains would be really nice! (Assuming they address some of the drawbacks you found in your usage of LEDs).
They certainly scaled back even in the JDM. Their selection was much less than before. They weren't the only brand either. It was like all of them. I think the market for aftermarket halogens has dwindled compared to LEDs.
I think LEDs are basically taking over, especially as high quality brands like PIAA produce kits with high quality emitters and commit R&D to make them better as drop-ins.
I think the reason why the aftermarket scene is strong in Japan is because these products may not be illegal to use on the street there like they are in the US. Much like how Germany is far more advanced with OE lighting technology, Japan offers much more aftermarket parts and they are readily available in brick-and-mortar stores. I think the stringent and outdated US DOT regulations hamper OE innovation and aftermarket product presence in the US. You basically have to get stuff online but much of the selection on the internet is cheap stuff from China instead of products from reputable brands like you can get in Japan. There have been many times where I see a product I didn't even know existed sold in a store in Japan. That's because it was solely intended to be sold in the JDM and not for any kind of export.
That's interesting that all the brands are doing it too. That definitely indicates the trend is here to stay and gives me confidence that we will see these products quite soon.
In many ways, the FMVSS (federal motor vehicle safety standard) that governs US domestic models has flaws. Why the US doesn't adopt mandatory amber turn signals like the rest of the world always dumbfounds me when it's pouring down and someone is trying to make a turn while braking. Such simple changes that the rest of the world has already figured out seems to be the hallmark of American stubbornness.
I'm not sure how difficult it is to design products to meet the FMVSS vs other world standards, but I think the demand of quality customers is simply not high enough. With a lot of Americans choosing price over quality, and 'good enough' now being a sufficient replacement for 'good', it is not hard to see why quality oriented companies don't see the US as a hot market for their products.
I didn't realize how different the light standards were in different parts of the world until I saw the headlight aiming technique in my Corvette's factory service manual which covers all world models. The European beam pattern is almost completely different than the US. And if a bulb manufacturer had to make different LED bulbs to make sure the beam patterns were always compliant, therein must lie the challenge. Otherwise, halogen bulbs are pretty much the same around the world in terms of their design and light throw.