Mercedes-Benz will use turquoise light on the EQS and S-Class in the future. BMW also relies on light strips in this color. There is a very specific reason for this.
Unusual sight and no indicator: Mercedes with turquoise lights. (Source: Mercedes-Benz)
If you come across a vehicle from the German car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz anywhere in the world driving towards you with turquoise lights, take a closer look. It’s quite possible that the driver is distracted at this moment and isn’t really paying attention to the road. He doesn’t have to!
In the future, Mercedes-Benz will use this light color to indicate that the vehicle is in autonomous mode. BMW also uses turquoise light strips to indicate the autonomous driving mode (Drive Pilot). Other road users, but also police officers, should be able to see at a glance that there is no human being actively behind the wheel, but that the computer is steering. The US authorities have now given the green light for this special outdoor lighting, it says Press release from Mercedes-Benz.
The turquoise marker lights, which are used in the front, rear and in the exterior mirrors, are intended to “increase acceptance and safety, as an automated driving mode can also be clearly recognized from the outside,” says the statement. And further:
This creates transparency and allows for more natural handling of automated vehicles. This also makes it easier for traffic authorities and police officers to recognize the system status and determine that drivers are allowed to engage in secondary activities during the highly automated journey when DRIVE PILOT is activated.
Mercedes-Benz
International, manufacturer-independent standards that regulate the display of an automated driving mode are still missing. Mercedes-Benz did not receive unrestricted approval, but rather in the US state of California in the form of a temporary exemption for two years. In other states such as Nevada, use should be permitted regularly from 2026.
Mercedes chose the color turquoise for a reason. On the one hand, the color can be easily distinguished from other signal colors, for example at traffic lights or traffic crossings, and has not yet been used. In addition, turquoise achieves higher values than other colors in both physiological and psychological factors.
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