As part of Vauxhall’s ongoing commitment to reduce CO2 emissions, the manufacturer has revealed information on the impressive, energy-saving LED headlight technology available in its new Astra and all-new Corsa models.

With the new and efficient LED lighting available on both models, each headlight consumes only 13 Watt. This equates to an energy saving of 81 per cent compared with halogen, which consume up to 70 Watt per headlight.

Simply by upgrading the headlights, Vauxhall has achieved remarkable CO2 savings for the new Astra and Corsa. On average, the LED headlights on the entry-level Corsa alone save 1.3 grams of CO2 per kilometre (according to NEDC). The petrol turbo engine saves 1.38 g/km, while the diesel engine saves 1.23 g/km. The Astra five-door reduces CO2 emissions by 1.26 g/km (according to NEDC), with the petrol turbo at 1.34 g/km and the diesel at 1.19 g/km.

As the LEDs draw less power, Vauxhall makes use of innovative reflector technology. The reflector in each headlight is shaped like the head of a shovel, allowing the maximum amount of light from each LED to be projected onto the road. Combined with the extremely efficient LED headlights, there are no comprises in light output. Vauxhall has truly achieved optimum light performance with minimum energy consumption and environmental impact.

Instead of measuring emissions on a dynamometer, Vauxhall’s engineers determine the possible CO2 savings of a light source versus halogen more efficiently with the help of a mathematical formula. The calculation considers, among other things, how much wattage each light source actually saves in comparison to halogen, as well as the fact that drivers usually only use dipped beam in darkness, which accounts for just one third of all driving. Accordingly, only one third of the total drive-duration is included in the calculation.