Lighting Trends from SEMA 2019 Illuminate a New Decade

Heads up: There’s some seriously exciting stuff happening in the world of automotive lighting—and not all of it is about improving safety and increasing visual distance. Here are some noticeable lighting trends from SEMA 2019 that prove the have-it-your-way bug really has hit every segment of the aftermarket.

Unique Colors & Shapes

While colored exterior lights are nothing new to the aftermarket, the way they’re being applied these days is noticeably more… sophisticated. Sure, you can still deck out your ride with underbody lights Bluetooth-synced to the sweet beats of that EDM playlist you’ve been holding onto since 2011. Or you can pick some unique and tailored ways to incorporate multi-colored functionality into your setup.

Spice Up Your Ride

Market leader ORACLE debuted its Dynamic ColorSHIFT LED illuminated wheel rings during the 2019 SEMA Show. Installing around the brake rotor and attaching to the brake dust shield, these LED rings allow users to run over 200 color patterns via a smartphone app to customize a large ring of light to accent their wheels. ORACLE also offers ColorSHIFT-engineered DRLs, headlights, grille vent accent lights and more, allowing users to dial in how mild or wild they want their vehicle to look come nighttime.

Similarly, Metra Electronics released new RGB headlights, fog lights, and adaptor accessories for the Jeep Wrangler at SEMA. The 7-inch round replacement headlights and 4-inch round fog lights utilize an RGB backlit LED, creating a unique trail-riding experience. Users can choose from over 120 different color changing patterns—and yea, these sync to that epic college playlist, too. They’re also IP67-rated and controlled via a convenient smartphone app.

Aftermarket juggernaut Rigid Industries debuted its new 360-series fog lights. Available in either a 4-inch or 6-inch round LED, they integrate one of four preferred backlight colors and a variety of beam patterns—including one that’s 100% SAE-compliant. Wider and more intense than Rigid’s previous fog lights, they’re also the brand’s first foray into round lamps. Designed to provide a customized experience and look, they’re easy-to-install and accommodate a wide range of mounting options.

Eye-catching XK Glow hit SEMA with several new products too, including a Jeep Spare Tire Light with running, sequential turn signal, brake, and reverse light capability, as well as a SAR 360 Light Bar, a Plug and Play Strobe Light System, and Truck Tailgate Lights available in 48- or 60-inch lengths.

And good old Putco (who never lets us down) landed in Vegas with some sweet new fog lights. The Nitro 360 is the brand’s latest LED kit, specifically designed to work in both dry and wet conditions. Producing 3,000 lumens at 6,000 kelvin, they’re perfect for regular night driving and make a nice complement to Putco’s Nitro Lux Headlights. Read more about those headlights, here.

In addition to improved nighttime dirving, the Nitro 360 can switch from white to amber in order to cut through fog, rain, or snow. Plus, they offer a 360° light pattern for better peripheral visibility. “Nitro360’s give you the best of both worlds: Cool white LED’s for an integrated cohesive look when paired with Nitro Lux LED Headlights and amber for penetrating visibility when inclement weather hits,” says Putco.

Like other Putco products, you can expect a solid construction and simple plug-and-play installation. In this case, the Nitro 360 uses a solid-state design with no moving parts for a more reliable performance, as well as a non-reflective nickel finish inside each bulb that prevents light ray interference. Ultra-compact driver boxes take up very little space, ensuring you have enough room during installation.

Lasers—Pew! Pew!

A new direction for the entire industry, lasers create unprecedented design and performance opportunities. Thanks to their high efficiency and strong output in a small package, advancing laser technology provides manufacturers with an opportunity to create thinner and more compact housings.

Consider what that could mean for new vehicle design—especially as traditional front fascias change with the rise of EVs. Plus, laser lighting will allow users to see farther than ever before, improving visibility and creating safer driving experiences.

But we already complain about LED headlights blinding oncoming traffic. Won’t laser lighting make things worse?

While laser lighting is significantly more powerful than LEDs, they’re not actually shooting laser beams. Well, they are, but not at you. Instead, three blue lasers fire onto a set of mirrors, which then focus the laser energy into a lens filled with yellow phosphorus. This creates a bright white light. That light then bounces off a reflector, further diffusing it, at which point it finally shines out the front of the light unit.

So, relax—your retinas will be fiiine.

See It In Action

OEs have already dabbled in laser lighting—the BMW i8, Audi R8 LMX, and BMW 7 Series are the first series production vehicles with laser full beam technology in their headlights. But the aftermarket hasn’t been sitting idle, either, as was crystal clear at SEMA 2019.

Race Sport® Lighting launched several new products at the show (including a ColorSMART series of multi-color auxiliary lights). One was the NEXT-GEN LL-Series Laser Lights. This innovative new line includes dual and single row laser light bars, laser auxiliary spots and fog lights, 7-inch sealed beam headlights for Jeeps and Motorcycles, and a heavy-duty tactical laser flashlight. It features technology that projects beams of up to 600 meters. (That’s a little over a third of a mile.)

Similarly, off-road lighting pioneer Baja Designs, who debuted groundbreaking laser light technology at last year’s SEMA with the first-ever laser light bar, returned this year with even more innovation. The highly-versatile S1 is a small 2-inch cube light, available in spot, wide-cornering, work/scene, and laser configurations. The last uses Baja’s new LaserLight Chips, another SEMA debut, which ensures an extremely bright and long-range beam pattern.

LED Love

While laser lighting is an undeniably exciting trend, it’s still new, expensive, and limited across applications. Which is why smart innovators—like Baja—haven’t stopped innovating affordable and capable LEDs.

In fact, the brand’s big SEMA debut for 2019 was the LP4, a high-performance auxiliary light featuring a total of 8,750 lumens, 200° spread of useable LED light, and near 50,000-hour life expectancy. The smallest variant in the LP line, it packs big power and some seriously advanced technology.

Many familiar names dropped innovative LED products at SEMA 2019.

From unique mounting opportunities to greater off-road functionality, these manufacturers show us that the LED lighting trend is sticking around:

ORACLE debuted its Sidetrack LED Lighting System that features tactical-inspired body-cladding equipped with multi-function integrated LED lights. “The light modules consist of a pair of injection-molded inserts that fit in the original body lines and contour the factory fender vent for a seamless look,” explains ORACLE. “Installation requires no modification to the fender sheetmetal; the cladding simply applies with included VHB adhesive.”

The LED “Entry Light” feature uses high-output LEDs to illuminate the exterior for drivers and passengers approaching the vehicle at night, while the LED “Turn Indicator” feature provides a bright, clear indicator on the side of the vehicle—“a needed visibility benefit for lifted Jeeps,” adds the company.

Quake LED ramped up the customization factor with its new Light Bridge Series. Built of reinforced welded steel, the Quake Light Bridge offers near endless lighting combinations. Mount a light bar with cubes on either side to better illuminate the trail or slap on the side perches and install a whopping 17 cube lights on a 52-inch bar. Go crazy and add in RGB accent lights for turn signal/courtesy light functionality—the choice is yours!

Anzo lit up SEMA 2019 by highlighting the complete plug-and-play operation of its exterior light offerings—now available for new Chevy, Ram, and Ford applications. Designed for drop-in installation, these lights demonstrate how LED technology continues to become more user-friendly. And, United Pacific Industries has done something similar by bringing contemporary lighting technologies to vintage Chevy owners in the form of easy-to-install LED headlights, taillights, and chrome exterior mirrors with integrated LED turn signal indicators.

California-based manufacturer Westin showed it’s still serious about innovating in the lighting segment, too. The company nabbed a Showstopper Award from Diesel Tech Magazine for its new TAC BLACK lights. Boasting a unique silicone lens for ultimate flexibility, these units ensure no cracking, denting, chipping, warping, or water damage!

The lights also work in a clever stacking configuration that allows users to start with either a small two-inch cube emitting 1,450 lumens or a 6-pod bar putting out 2,350 lumens and then build up from there via a bracket system. Made in the USA, the Westin TAC BLACK lights employ a user-friendly plug and play installation.

Jobber Appreciation

Manufacturers were sure to include some innovative lighting products tailored for professional use, as well. A segment often dominated by high-priced complex equipment has seen a much-needed injection of value-oriented product.

Harbor Freight brought an enormous array of very affordable lighting solutions for garages, shops, and poorly-lit work spaces. Exciting new product arrivals include a new Braun 3-in-1 quick connect light kit designed for the easy swapping of different light heads, a color-matching paint work light engineered to help professionals better read surface colors, and a daisy-chain-capable workshop hanging light that will link together to create easier illumination of large spaces.

Not to be outdone, Milwaukee Tool also showed up at SEMA 2019 with a new collection of flashlights and portable shop lights. Making productivity a priority, these solutions offer more recharges, longer running time, chemical and water resistance, and a greater life expectancy than previous offerings.

Into the Future…

From better plug-and-play functionality and clever mounting options of LEDs to next-gen laser technology and the refined application of colored exterior illumination, lighting trends from SEMA 2019 showed that the segment is growing in several directions.

So, what should we expect at upcoming trade shows and exhibitions? Well, more of the same for sure—but don’t be surprised to see these lights also become smarter.

Leading light technology giant OSRAM is already fine-tuning “adaptive forward lighting,” i.e. headlights that continuously analyze driving and weather conditions to “ensure optimum light conditions.” Additionally, these “smart” pixels inside the lights can be turned on and off to project images or messages to communicate with other drivers or pedestrians.

You can expect that trippy tech to make its way into the vehicle as well, creating ambient interiors chock full of touchscreens, head-up displays, and even augmented reality entertainment systems.

It’s a wild new decade for automotive innovation and customization–and the lighting segment might just play a bigger role than you initially thought…