Turquoise lights: Mercedes-Benz has been authorised in Germany

Mercedes-Benz has become the first car manufacturer to receive approval for special marker lights for automated driving. The authorisation covers the whole of Germany and will be valid until July 2028.

Here's What We Know

The turquoise lights will signal to other drivers, police and regulators that the autonomous driving mode has been activated. They will be integrated in the headlights and tail lights, as well as in the side turn signals on the mirrors.

The turquoise colour was chosen for a reason: it is not similar to traffic signals, is easy to perceive and is already included in global standards (SAE J3134, UNECE, China Compulsory Certification). Mercedes-Benz aims to make it an international symbol of automated driving.

For now, the authorisation is experimental, but the data obtained could influence the future regulation of such systems. Similar authorisations have already been granted in the American states of Nevada and California, where similar trials are also underway.

DRIVE PILOT: the fastest Level 3 serial autopilot ever produced

The updated version of the DRIVE PILOT system, introduced at the end of 2024, allows autonomous driving in the right-hand lane of a motorway at speeds of up to 95 km/h. This makes it the fastest Level 3 system among production vehicles. It is on such prototypes that the turquoise marker lights will be tested.

Source: Mercedes-Benz