Tesla S Headlight Bulb Size

Additional Notes

• The Tesla Model S used two distinct headlight system types across the 2012-2018 model years: halogen capsule headlamps and HID headlamps. Each system requires a different bulb, and the two types are not interchangeable.
• The 9005 is a single-filament halogen bulb operating at 12V and 65W, built to the ANSI standard used in the United States and Canada. It uses a P20d base and serves both the high beam and low beam positions in halogen-equipped Model S vehicles.
• The D3S is a mercury-free HID xenon discharge bulb operating at 42V and 35W, built to the ECE standard used in Europe and worldwide. It uses a PK32d-5 base with an integral ignitor and is designed specifically for projector-type housings.
• Because the D3S operates at 42V through a high-voltage ignition circuit, it is electrically incompatible with the 12V halogen system. Substituting one bulb type for the other is not supported by the specifications.
• The D3S bulb incorporates an integral ignitor, meaning the ignition component is built directly into the bulb unit rather than housed separately within the vehicle. This is a defining characteristic of the D3S format within the HID bulb family.
• The 9005 bulb is shared across both the high beam and low beam positions in halogen-equipped Model S vehicles, indicating a single-bulb-per-housing design rather than a separate bulb for each function.
• The D3S similarly serves both the high beam and low beam positions in HID-equipped vehicles, consistent with projector-type housing designs that direct light output through optical means rather than through separate filaments or bulbs.
• The halogen 9005 draws 65W compared to the HID D3S at 35W, reflecting the general characteristic of HID technology producing greater luminous output at lower wattage than halogen sources.