Want to switch your headlamps to high beam or low beam without flickering any switch? Now you can! That is if you own a 2010 Mercedes E-Class models and live in Europe.

The first continuously adjustable headlamps are now available as an option on the 2010 Mercedes E-Class models in Europe. In a report, Hella will supply Mercedes-Benz with this new lighting system that will automatically adjust a vehicle’s headlamps to various conditions while providing adequate road illumination without blinding oncoming vehicles.

The Intelligent High Beam Assistant system detects oncoming traffic or vehicles through a camera mounted on the windshield. Steffen Pietzonka, vice president of Marketing for Hella Lighting said, “The headlamps are controlled so that the light cone ends before reaching other vehicles.”

According to the report, the system “automatically switches to high-beam when the road ahead is clear. As soon as vehicles are detected within 2,600 feet, the equipment adjusts the range of the headlamps within milliseconds. High- to low-beam adjustments are activated once the driver reaches 35 miles per hour.”

Pietzonka noted that the tests show “despite oncoming traffic, the new system detected groups of pedestrians on the side of the road within 853 feet. This is 492 feet earlier than with conventional low-beam headlamps.”

“The system depends on the interaction of image-producing sensors, powerful software for image processing and state-of-the-art lighting technology,” Pietzonka explained.

The new optional lighting system in the 2010 Mercedes E-Class includes Bi-Xenon headlamps, the Intelligent Light System, and LED daytime running lights.