How do LED lights work?

An LED is simply a semiconductor which emits light when a current is passed through it – they only work with current flowing in one direction, mind. Due to requiring relatively little current to illuminate, the energy drawn from the battery (and therefore the engine) is less than halogens and xenons.

Current flows from cathode to anode passing through a semiconducting material, which is a material which had a conductivity somewhere between metal and rubber, made by adding a material that conducts electricity to an insulating material. The semiconductor then emits photons, which is then illuminate the road ahead.  

Due to the simplicity of the LED, there is very little to go wrong with them, which is why they are predicted to last well over a decade. That said, LED headlights haven’t been around long enough to establish how long they will last for when used on the open road.

What are adaptive LED lights

It is worth noting not all adaptive headlights are LED units. An adaptive unit is merely a headlight which can change its direction and/or brightness to suit road conditions