Can Kona EV SELs swap out the halogen headlamps for LED ones?

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Ed C

Ed C

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I went with the standard Kona EV because it was the best deal for the buck without the other expensive or excessive options in the Limited and Ultimate trim. One thing that I would have really liked was LED headlamps as opposed to halogens. I did a little research and found that you can actually purchase the entire LED headlamp unit as an OEM part. So theoretically, you could swap out the halogen headlamp units for LED headlamp units. The only problem is knowing how to remove the old halogen units and replace it with the new LED units. Also, I am not sure if the LED headlamp units are compatible in the SEL trim. Each LED headlamp unit cost about $750 ( you need the driver side and passenger side), making the swap $1,500......a little too expensive for me to experiment, and I am afraid it might cause my Kona to explode or something if done incorrectly.
 
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Ed C said:
I went with the standard Kona EV because it was the best deal for the buck without the other expensive or excessive options in the Limited and Ultimate trim. One thing that I would have really liked was LED headlamps as opposed to halogens. I did a little research and found that you can actually purchase the entire LED headlamp unit as an OEM part. So theoretically, you could swap out the halogen headlamp units for LED headlamp units. The only problem is knowing how to remove the old halogen units and replace it with the new LED units. Also, I am not sure if the LED headlamp units are compatible in the SEL trim. Each LED headlamp unit cost about $750 ( you need the driver side and passenger side), making the swap $1,500......a little too expensive for me to experiment, and I am afraid it might cause my Kona to explode or something if done incorrectly.
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WOW, those are pricey.. I would do the swap if it was cheaper but $1500 is too much..
 
BlueKonaEV said:
WOW, those are pricey.. I would do the swap if it was cheaper but $1500 is too much..
Click to expand...

That is about par for OEM headlight assemblies these days. When I rebuilt my 2016 CRV that I bought at salvage auction a couple of years ago each headlight assembly was around $700 and they were just plain halogens. There is a reason why most decent front end collisions end up being write offs. When I bought the car it had 400kms on it. It still had monroney sticker on it so I elected to buy new OEM replacement parts with a jobber discount. We did all the repairs and paint, turned out nice. Some before and after shots.

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That is too expensive for my taste as well. We just picked up an SEL because the wife really likes the black roof with the chalk white car.
I may look into replacing the bulbs with LEDs. I found good ones for my 2018 F150 that do not have any bleed. They are a nice tight beam.
 
Anyone found an LED replacement bulb that works well in the Projector headlight housings?
That's the one upgrade I wish for on my new Kona.
Thanks, Nate
 
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