Piaa: lighting the future

Hidemi Miyoshi, Piaa Japan general manager for New Business Development and Global Business, and Edbert Tiu, CEO of Waido, official distributor for Piaa products in the Philippines, show Piaa’s cabin filter infused with vitamin C, which gives drivers a fresher, more energized feeling on long drives, keeping them alert and focused.

PIAA is one of those Japanese companies everyone has heard about but had no clear idea what it is that they do, the products they offer, or the thrust of their R&D.

With the massive proliferation of fake parts all over the world, Piaa is one of those companies who have built a legendary relationship, only to be taken advantage of by unscrupulous individuals who hope to bank on the name, selling fake, technically inferior and oftentimes dangerous products to an unsuspecting public.

Piaa is, ultimately, a company that produces products that aim to increase the driver’s visibility, focus and alertness, from normal driving all the way to the upper echelon of motorsports.

Founded in 1963 by professional drivers and meant for fellow professional drivers, Piaa has indeed gone a very long way.

At a recent visit earlier this year, Piaa, which is now owned by the Valeo Group, one of the largest OEM parts suppliers worldwide, met with select media alongside Piaa Philippines director and Waido CEO Edbert Tiu. Represented by Hidemi Miyoshi, the general manager for New Business Development and Global Business, Piaa got the chance to exchange ideas with members of  the local media.

Piaa’s name is often thought to be an acronym. But when Miyoshi-san was asked what Piaa stands for, he smiled and said: “Piaa is meant to represent the sound when your vision is suddenly illuminated by our famous lighting systems: Piaa!”

Interesting indeed, as the Japanese do have a sense of humor.

Recommended, popular Piaa is highly recommended and is very popular, particularly among long-distance rally racers such as those who participate in the  infamous Paris-Dakar Rally.

Initially, Piaa did not sponsor any team or driver, but was so technically superior to other lighting competitors in the early ’80s that every long-distance rally drivers, particularly those from Japan, would request for their cars to be equipped with a multitude of Piaa foglamps, spot lamps and auxiliary driving lamps to help them navigate the tough, unforgiving and downright dangerous African desert terrain in the middle of the night.

From there, the Piaa legend spread and found its way to other forms of motorsports, like endurance racing such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the VLN 24 Hours of the Ring, the World Rally Championship, and so on.

But it’s not just lighting that Piaa is known for. Piaa also makes silicon wiper blades that remain more pliant for longer periods of time, as compared to regular rubber-only ones, which also help provide better visibility in inclement weather; their infamous horns that deliver powerful, almost menacing sounds in traffic to alert pedestrian and  motorist alike of your presence; and just recently, a new line of cabin air-conditioner filters for most Japanese cars that are infused with vitamin C, giving passengers a more refreshed and relaxed feeling while filtering out dust, bacteria and bad odor from the cabin. Lastly, though it’s not as popular as it used to be, Piaa also sells aftermarket aluminum-alloy wheels for a wide variety of Japanese and European cars.

Miyoshi-san also asked members of media what they would like to see Piaa produce next, particularly for the growing China and Asean market.

The local media collectively recommended that Piaa produce a low-priced, mass-volume H4-type all-weather bulb suitable for a wide range of Japanese, Korean and even Chinese vehicles.

A typical Piaa bulb retails close to P2,000 per pair, and having an original Piaa-branded bulb selling for less than P1,000 would be a huge favor for the consumer.

The typical Piaa halogen bulb is different from its competitors. Other brands simply increase the wattage/output of the bulbs, which necessitate adding relays and using thicker gauge wiring. If done improperly, there’s a high risk of bulb failure, leaving you blind at night or, worse, causing an electrical fire.

According to Miyoshi-san, Piaa bulbs are designed to work with the original reflectors in the headlight housing, optimizing color, diffusion and materials to create a safe and better-performing product that has full OEM-like fitment and are of better quality. No hack jobs, no shortcuts.

This belief in creating safe products with OEM or better reliability and performance  has also sometimes meant delays for Piaa in releasing new products. Their HID retrofit kit was delayed relative to other China-sourced brands, but Piaa HID retrofit kits are again designed to work with the reflectors inside the headlamp housing. The result is a focused beam that does not disperse and blind oncoming motorists.

In the future, Piaa sees the lighting technology move away from xenon/HID headlamps and move toward LED technology, as LEDs improve and become cheaper and brighter.

Miyoshi-san says LEDs consume far less power, last much longer, are less complex, and are lighter than conventional halogen or xenon/HID lighting technology.

Piaa is set to release its first H4 retrofit LED lighting system this 2015, so watch this space for a comparison/review in the near future.

So the next time you are looking at buying a horn, wipers or anything lighting-related, before spending your money on cheap, China-made stuff, consider the safety of you  and  of those around you first. Piaa products might be more expensive than those no-name China knock-offs, but you can  buy them with confidence.

For a full product listing, check out Piaa’s official website at www.piaa.co.jp/english, or the Philippine website at www.piaa-ph.com.

Piaa is distributed in the Philippines by Waido Marketing & Distribution Inc. as well as Blaupunkt Car Audio Equipment and Sonax Automotive Car Care products.