Headlamp upgrade for a Tata Nexon EV

I am a fan of Autocar India magazine and also your online channel. I am planning to buy a Tata Nexon EV. Will there be any problem in changing the halogen headlights with LED ones? The dealer says they won’t carry out the replacement. Will it void the warranty? Also, will it lead to extra burden on the battery?

Dr Sanil Chandrasekharan, Kochi

The Nexon EV comes with a halogen projector setup for its headlamps. Yes, it is indeed possible to replace the light source – the halogen bulb – with an aftermarket LED bulb, but you would not get proper illumination due to a mismatch between the bulb and projector specifications.

While it will cause no harm to the drivetrain battery as lights in an EV still continue to function on the DC power supplied from the supplementary, conventional 12V lead-acid battery present in the engine bay, you do stand to risk your vehicle’s warranty.

In fact, LEDs are more power efficient than traditional halogen bulbs. If you are thinking of doing this conversion from an aesthetics point of view, then remember that yellow light will offer you better illumination and visibility compared to white light, unless it’s a full HID setup. So, we would advise you to use your stock bulbs while the vehicle is under standard or extended warranty, and attempt a swap sometime later in your ownership.