Pillar guide
A three-colour bulb covers 6000 K, 4300 K and 3000 K in one part number. For a distributor that means one shelf line instead of three; for a driver it means changing colour for rain or fog without pulling the bulb. Here is what the feature really does, and where it is regulated.
Two approaches exist. The cheap one dims or over-drives a single white chip to fake a warmer tone — output drops and the colour is muddy. The one we build uses separate emitters per colour temperature and switches which set is driven, so each setting keeps its own beam pattern and output. The remote sends the command to the driver; nothing is changed mechanically.
Three groups. Markets with heavy rain or fog, where the driver genuinely uses the warm setting. Markets where the colour rule differs between applications — white for headlights, selective yellow for fog. And markets where the buyer simply likes a feature that the competitor's box does not have. The last group is the largest.
ECE R48 permits selective yellow fog lamps in some EU member states and forbids them in others; several countries restrict any colour other than white for headlights specifically. A three-colour bulb does not create a legal problem by existing — selling it into a market that forbids the setting does. Print the restriction on the box and keep the default setting at white.
| Item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Separate emitters per colour | Dimming a single chip loses output and looks yellow-green |
| Output per colour setting | A 200 W bulb rarely delivers 200 W at all three settings |
| Remote pairing method | Lost handset becomes a customer complaint |
| Default colour at power-on | Should be white for road use |
N13S MAX and N15S MAX at 200 W with a remote handset and a strobe, N12 TC at 150 W and N13S TC / N15S TC at 200 W switched from the cabin switch, and the N12 as the single-colour entry tier. All of them keep the aluminium body and copper heat pipe, and all ship per single bulb.
On our design each colour has its own emitters, so output is specified per setting. On cheap dimmed designs the warm settings are noticeably dimmer — that is the tell when you compare samples.
Changing colour while driving is restricted in many markets, and strobe modes are off-road only. Our box carries the warning; enforcement is your market's call.
We reply within one business day with a matching platform, the closest beam report and a landed-cost sheet for your market.
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