Mercedes became the first automaker in the world to receive authorization from California and Nevada to use turquoise lights in autonomous vehicles.
Autonomous driving technology has taken another big step. Mercedes-Benz recently announced that it has received authorization from the states of California and Nevada to use turquoise lights on some of its autonomous vehicles to indicate autonomous driving mode. This will make Mercedes the first automaker in the world to receive this approval.
It is reported that Mercedes will integrate turquoise lights in some of its vehicles equipped with the Drive Pilot autonomous driving system. These lights will be mounted on the vehicle's headlights, taillights, and side mirrors, respectively, to communicate to other drivers that the vehicles are driving in partially autonomous mode. This innovative measure will remove the confusion of other drivers when encountering Mercedes autonomous vehicles and help remind other drivers to be vigilant when interacting with these vehicles.
In California, Mercedes gets a license that is valid for two years. In Nevada, the license is only available for the 2026 EQS and S-Class models. The move further demonstrates Mercedes' leadership and innovation capabilities in the field of autonomous driving technology.
Why did you choose turquoise as the color of the indicator?Mercedes said they chose turquoise to distinguish it from existing emergency and traffic light colours. This is a new and clear option that makes it easier for other drivers to identify Mercedes autonomous vehicles. In addition, Mercedes hopes that the color will become the industry standard for autonomous driving instructions, as there are currently no regulations in the global automotive market.
This groundbreaking initiative evaluates the level of automation of Mercedes' autonomous driving system, DRIVE PILOT, for SAE International's Level 3 level. This means that the system can enable fully autonomous driving on specific roads and in specific conditions, but still requires the driver to take over control when needed. This is an important milestone for Mercedes to go all out to achieve its goal of autonomous driving.
Deliveries of Mercedes' Drive Pilot autonomous driving system are expected to begin in California and Nevada in early 2024. The introduction of this system will further drive the autonomous driving revolution in the automotive industry, laying the foundation for a safer and more convenient driving experience.
Mercedes-Benz's initiative is not only to meet the demand for autonomous driving technology, but also to demonstrate its focus on road safety. While developing and rolling out autonomous driving technology, Mercedes has always been committed to ensuring the safety of drivers, passengers and other road users.
Over time, we believe that more and more automakers will join the race for autonomous driving technology and contribute to the development of standards for autonomous vehicles. We look forward to seeing the further development of this technology and its profound impact on the future of road mobility."