LED Lights for Car Dealerships

Frequently Asked Questions

We spoke to first time buyers and long-term customers to find out their most commonly asked questions when it comes to buying lights for car dealerships. If you couldn’t find an answer to your question below, feel free to call us at call us at (888) 423-3191 and one of our lighting experts will will be able to assist you.

Are Street Lights Needed in Front of Auto Dealerships?

While you can use street lights (Cobra Heads), a better option is to use parking lot lights. These lights are capable of replacing up to 1000 Watt metal halide, which is something that would be hard to do in a street light format.

What’s the Best Strategy for Lighting Up the Outside of a Car Dealership?

Lighting up the cars closest to the street means drivers will always see well lit cars. The poles further away from the street should include motion sensors so they dim when no one is around. This strategy provides good appeal but also saves the dealership money. Also, many dealerships use photocells or centralized timers for lighting control.

Why Are LED Lights Better Than Metal Halide Lights?

There are quite a few reasons - over and above the lower lighting bills and maintenance costs. A car dealership needs great high quality lights to highlight the cars - and LEDs can deliver high quality lights. The spec you need to pay attention to is the Color Rendering Index - or CRI, which is a standard on the quality of light. LEDs start at 70+. Plus, it's easy to add motion sensors and dim LED lights - which could dramatically reduce your light bills even further.

How Do You Avoid Glare from Lighting in a Car Dealership?

One technique is to add back shields and side shields, but this strategy also limits light distribution and the fixtures available. Not all have these options. Adding motion sensor dimming could reduce the overall light output on the lot substantially. There is no need for 100% brightness at 3 AM, but for security reasons, having lights turn on or up instantly when motion is detected is also ideal. LEDs perform well handling this.

Are There Any Restrictions on the Type and Amount of Lighting You Can Have in a Car Dealership?

This is more of a city or town bylaw question and will vary depending on where you are located.

How Many Fixtures Do I Need for Adequate Car Dealership Lighting?

The best way to answer this question is to create a lighting plan. A lighting plan will model your indoor or outdoor spaces, placing lights in your existing light locations (or new locations) and present you with a report detailing light levels and show you how well balanced the lighting is. There is no need to guess-timate what might work. We have done 100’s of indoor and outdoor lighting plans for car dealerships.

What Color Temperature for New Car Dealership Parking Lot Lighting?

We suggest either 5000K but sometimes we also get requests for 4000K. We also suggest a higher CRI - it will help red cars especially.

What Wattage Should Be Used When Replacing 1000 Watt Metal Halide Fixtures in a Car Dealership?

We have several options. Indoors, we offer many UFO and panel style high bays that can easily replace 1000 Watt metal halide. Outdoors we offer powerful parking lit fixtures that can also easily replace 1000 Watt metal halide - 1 for 1.

What Type of Light Can I Use in the Service Department?

We suggest either high bays or low bay lights, and for lower ceilings (< 10 ft), shop lights.

What Are the Different Types of Car Dealership Lights?

For outdoors, we suggest either wall mounted wall packs, pole or wall mounted flood lights, or pole mounted parking lot lights for the car lot.

Interior showrooms, high bays/low bays, we have color changing 2X2 or 2X4 panels, or powerful retrofit kits that can replace ceiling metal halide bulbs. 

In the service bay, we offer low bay, high bay and shop lighting.

What If I Have Expensive Outdoor Lights That I Want to Keep, but Convert to LED?

We offer a full range of parking lot retrofit kits that you can use to convert your metal halide lights to LED - using your existing fixture.

Are Color Temperature Adjustable Lights a Good Fit for Car Dealerships?

They can be. You may not be sure what color temperature you or your customer find best. It may be 4000K, or 5000K. By using a color changing panel, you can decide after you install. These panels are also dimmable, so you can really dial in the right lighting - and not worry about what you should choose before you buy.

Is There an Install Guide That Comes with the Product?

Every product that we sell comes with a set of instructions that are clear and easy to follow.

Whether you are looking to upgrade your indoor or outdoor lighting at a Car Dealership, the best way is to get a lighting plan done first. 

Lighting is so important to car dealerships. Making cars look great is job one. They help sales. And in the work shop, creating a well lit environment means cars are worked on under optimal lighting.

How can you ensure the lighting will work before you purchase? Create a Car Dealership Lighting Plan. A Car Dealership Lighting Plan places our LED Lights on your indoor or outdoor space. It shows foot candle measurements, and well even the light is distributed in the space and area.

We provide Free - No Obligation - Lighting Plans for Commercial Car Dealerships. Fill out the form and lets get started.