King of the Road

It might be said that everybody drives pickups and loves pickups in Texas. It feels bigger than life—and it is.

Pickup truck sales, as a percentage of overall vehicle sales, in both North Dakota (39.1%) and Alaska (> 30%) rank higher than in Texas (22.5%). However, due to Texas’ much larger population (26M) sales of pickup trucks vastly outdistance sales in the other states. In order for a pickup manufacturer to be successful, they must be successful in meeting the demands of the Texas pickup truck customer.

Nationally, pickup truck sales account for about one in every eight vehicle sales. More large pickups were purchased in Texas last year than the next three largest truck markets—California, Oklahoma, and Florida—combined.

Texas’ favorite pickup truck is the Ford F-150, as it is for the rest of the nation. The Ford F-150 has been the nation’s best-selling pickup for a long time.

Recently a major LED lighting supplier, OSRAM, announced that the 2015 Ford F-150 will be the first truck to feature a full LED forward lighting system. A key performance and styling differentiator, the innovative LED lighting system is comprised of a low beam, high beam, light driver module, turn module, and park module. OSRAM worked closely with Tier 1 supplier Flex-N-Gate and DBM Reflex to help the automaker achieve a completely new front-end appearance and optic design. The LED headlamps deliver a unique, strong and powerful look that compliments the commanding design of the entire vehicle.

Ford is expecting this LED lighting system to help keep them as the “King of the Road.” For a video about OSRAM’s work with the 2013 Mustang GT, click here. For more information on OSRAM’s automotive lighting technology, please visit www.osram.com.