BMW i8 Launches as First Production Car With Laser Headlights
BMW delivered the first i8s to customers in June 2014, marking the debut of laser-powered headlights in a production vehicle and setting a new benchmark for automotive lighting technology.
BMW delivered the first i8 plug-in hybrid sports cars to customers in June 2014, making it the world’s first production vehicle equipped with laser-powered headlights. This technology, offered as an option alongside standard LED headlamps, doubled the high-beam range to 600 metres and introduced a new benchmark for automotive lighting.
Laser headlight technology had been previewed by BMW at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, but the i8 was the first model to bring it to production. The system uses three blue laser diodes per headlamp, arranged in a triangular pattern, with the beams directed onto mirrors and then into a lens containing yellow phosphorus. The phosphorus converts the concentrated laser energy into an exceptionally bright white light, which is then projected onto the road via a reflector. This process produces light ten times more intense than conventional sources, but it is diffused and safe for road use.
How BMW’s laser headlights work
The laser system’s compactness is a key advantage. Laser diodes are ten times smaller than LEDs, allowing for slimmer, lighter headlamp units and more freedom in design. The reflector surface can be reduced from 9 cm to less than 3 cm in height, further shrinking the headlight assembly. Energy efficiency also improves, with BMW stating a 30 per cent reduction in power consumption compared to its already efficient LED systems.
- Three blue lasers per headlamp (six per car)
- Laser beams directed onto mirrors and a phosphorus lens
- Phosphorus lens converts laser to safe white light
- White light projected onto road by reflector
BMW addressed safety concerns by clarifying that the actual light projected is not laser light but white light created inside the headlamp. The system is designed to prevent any risk to eyes or objects. In the event of an accident, power to the laser units is cut immediately, similar to the safety protocols used for Xenon headlights. The high-beam assistant, using a camera, automatically dips the main beam to prevent dazzling oncoming traffic or vehicles ahead.
Market arrival and competitors
The first eight BMW i8s with laser headlights were handed over to German customers at BMW Welt in Munich on 5 June 2014. BMW confirmed that deliveries to international markets would follow throughout the month. The i8’s laser light option was positioned as a technological flagship, combining the car’s carbon-fibre construction and plug-in hybrid drivetrain with advanced lighting.
Audi followed closely with its own laser headlight technology, initially on the limited-run R8 LMX and later as standard on the 2018 R8 V10 Plus. Both BMW and Audi’s systems use lasers for long-range high beam, while retaining LEDs for short-range lighting. Audi’s laser modules employ a similar principle, using blue laser diodes and a phosphor converter to generate intense white light. However, BMW’s i8 reached customers before any Audi production model with laser headlights.
What it means for future models
BMW stated at the i8’s launch that laser headlight technology would be extended to further models in the coming years. The scalability of the system allows it to be adapted for different vehicle sizes and segments, with the potential to reshape headlamp design and energy consumption across the range. The i8’s introduction marked the start of wider adoption, but at launch, laser headlights remained an exclusive feature reserved for high-end models.
The arrival of laser headlights in series production signalled a shift in automotive lighting, with BMW leading the transition from LEDs to even more efficient and powerful systems. As the technology matures, further integration into mainstream models is likely, but the i8 remains the car that brought lasers from concept to customer delivery.
