Mercedes-Benz Marks Its Autonomous Driving Territory With Turquoise-Colored Lights

In January, Mercedes-Benz announced it certified its Drive Pilot driver assistance package as an SAE Level-3 autonomous driving system in the US. As impressive as this sounds, the system has severe limitations and is currently only available on certain pre-mapped highways in Nevada and California. To add insult to injury, it can drive semi-autonomously only in ideal weather conditions when you're traveling below 40 mph (64 kph) and only if there's a car in front to follow. Forget it if the sun blinds the car's cameras.

When Mercedes-Benz received the certification, I was puzzled as to why it wanted to get it in the first place. As Elon Musk once said, there's no need to get approval in the US for things that are not explicitly regulated. I must assume the German carmaker did it for fame and media headlines. This assumption is confirmed by another bizarre certification Mercedes-Benz just announced: the use of turquoise-colored marker lights for automated driving on freeways.

If you're wondering, these are special exterior lights to let fellow road users know when your Mercedes-Benz is driving autonomously. Although the SAE J3134 standard recommends the use of special ADS marker lamps, there's no requirement about their shape, color, or placement. The use of special lighting for autonomous driving vehicles is also not a legal requirement. However, adding new lights to your vehicle requires regulatory approval, which Mercedes-Benz acquired in California and Nevada.

This doesn't necessarily mean that other carmakers will be required to use such lamps or the same color in the future. Just that Mercedes-Benz chose turquoise lights and wanted to make it official. The luxury carmaker applied for approval to use the turquoise lights in Nevada and California, the states that also certified Drive Pilot for Level-3 autonomous driving. It also hopes other carmakers will adopt this color for their autonomous vehicles.

Mercedes-Benz explained that it chose turquoise because it allows reliable and fast detection for other road users. At the same time, the color stands out among existing vehicle lighting and traffic signals such as traffic lights or emergency lighting. Believe it or not, the Germans have poured a lot of resources into the development and approval of the new lighting concept. This involved the collaborative efforts of an interdisciplinary team comprising engineers, compliance managers, data protection experts, and ethics experts.

Clearly, Mercedes-Benz wants to make a mark in the autonomous driving arena. Although it's aware that there is no general framework in the United States, China, or the European Union for using turquoise lights in production vehicles, it still wants to standardize its use. Mercedes-Benz thinks this will enhance safety for all road users.