Automotive headlamps based on LED sources have made considerable inroads into the market, displacing xenon high-brightness lamps in certain models thanks to their compact size and efficiency.
When the high beams are activated, the lasers shoot as a beam towards the rear of the headlight housing. The laser beams will then make contact with a projector that spreads the light out and provides a wide area of coverage. The projector fundamentally breaks the laser beam, and produces just bright light as a result. For vehicles already equipped with LED headlights, the technology works similarly.
In September 2009 BMW sent out a press release telling everyone it was working on laser headlights for its cars. Nobody paid too much attention.