HID actually means high-intensity discharge. The light enclosures of HID headlights have an arc chamber, in which a vaporization of metallic salts creates a high-intensity light that is much brighter than that produced by tungsten bulbs.
Also, because there is no filament in HID lights, they last longer (approximately 1900 hrs. compared to about 700 hours) then headlights with halogen bulbs of which filaments create the light. Not only that, these brighter headlights require less power consumption.
Consequently, you’re safer driving at night, over a longer period of time, at a lower cost. Pretty hard to beat that!
A quick note concerning the installation of HID headlights. There could be a misleading bulb out warning because HIDs make use of 35 Ws, whereas a typical headlight system in a car is 55 Ws; therefore, through an idiot light the impression might be given that the bulb is out though it isn’t. A simple solution is anti-flicker capacitors which will compensate for the differences in wattage.
What is called the Kelvin temperature determines the color of the light. A higher Kelvin temperature produces a lower brightness level; HID lamps which use less energy and run at lower temperatures actually produce more light. That is the excellent combination of efficiency and superior brightness of HID headlights.
Some examples of the different temperatures and colors are: 6000 K, the brightest of white, a very popular color; 10,000 K, a bright violet; 4300 K is yellow; and 8000 K, a slight blue tint. So when you see an oncoming vehicle on the road and the headlights are shaded a color, obviously they’re HID headlights, though the majority of HID headlights will be a particularly bright white which distinguishes them from the vast majority of other headlights.
A more energy-efficient, brighter light that last longer; and is available in numerous colors. As the headline states: “what more could you want?”