OSRAM Automotive Lighting has debuted its LED JOULE® module on a popular and much-anticipated vehicle: the 2013 Mustang GT.

The Mustang GT features the first LED fog lamp in the US based on OSRAM's standardized LED system. The grille-mounted hybrid reflector-projector system complements the Mustang's styling DNA. It is the highest volume LED forward lighting application in the North American market.

The light source comes from a common OSRAM LED platform – demonstrating scalability across different applications and different vehicle models, as well as enabling auto designers to create a unique style, look and feel.

Other benefits of the light source include its longevity – it lasts the life of a vehicle – and its efficiency. The JOULE module utilizes significantly less energy than conventional bulbs – 14 watts of electricity compared with a range of 35 to 65 watts for conventional halogen light sources.

"This new industry first demonstrates the inherent benefits of LEDs – flexibility in design, high energy efficiency, and longer product life – which will drive the growth and competitive design edge that LED technology affords automakers. We wanted to give high-volume car makers the efficiency gains while still allowing them to create a look all their own," said David Hulick, OSRAM marketing director, Specialty Solid State Lighting.

Prediction for LED forward lighting in automotive lighting market
OSRAM suggests LED forward lighting will be especially attractive as automakers look for ways to improve efficiency and save gas mileage.

According to a recent market report, McKinsey & Company predicts a sharp increase in LED lighting adoption in the automotive category by the end of the decade.

In last year's automotive lighting market, LEDs claimed a 12 percent share, contributing to the overall category's revenue of $18.1 billion. By 2020, researchers expect to see LED share nearly triple to 34 percent of the overall automotive lighting market. This forecast is based on the anticipated growth in LED headlight adoption by OEMs during the next eight years.

Once automakers re-engineer a vehicle's forward lighting system to accommodate LED, OSRAM suggests that broadening the application across other vehicle lines and platforms will come more easily.