China’s EV ADAS Blue Lights Face Growing Compliance Scrutiny

A regulatory guideline message regarding external blue indicator lights on intelligent driving vehicles has recently circulated within China’s automotive industry.

According to the leaked document, starting from the 410th batch of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s (MIIT) “Road Motor Vehicle Manufacturers and Products Announcement,” testing agencies will no longer approve vehicles equipped with external blue intelligent driving indicator lights that remain illuminated during driving. The reason cited is non-compliance with the current national standard for vehicle exterior lighting, GB 4785.

If confirmed, the widely used “blue smart driving lights” adopted by Chinese new energy vehicle makers would face their first clear compliance challenge.

The reported regulatory requirements focus on three areas.

First, testing agencies will examine external blue indicator light configurations during vehicle certification applications. Models equipped with blue intelligent driving indicator lights that remain continuously illuminated while driving may fail compliance checks.

Second, the current GB 4785-2019 “Installation Regulations for External Lighting and Light-Signaling Devices of Motor Vehicles and Trailers” does not specifically define external status indicators for intelligent driving systems.

In the future, the National Technical Committee of Auto Standardization may revise relevant standards to regulate the color, brightness and application scenarios of external interaction lights for autonomous driving vehicles.

Third, there is currently no clear solution for vehicles already sold in the market. The leaked document only mentions that further measures will be studied. Whether future actions involve recalls, OTA updates or other adjustments remains unclear.

Over the past two years, several Chinese EV makers, including Li Auto, AITO and BYD, have introduced external blue intelligent driving indicator lights. The lights are designed to inform pedestrians and other road users that vehicles have activated advanced driver assistance functions.

From automakers’ perspective, external lighting signals could help surrounding traffic participants quickly identify vehicle status.

However, the blue lights have also triggered debate. Some drivers argue that continuously illuminated blue lights at night may create visual distractions. In some cases, overly bright rear blue indicators have raised concerns over potential impacts on following vehicles.

Under current regulations, blue intelligent driving indicator lights remain in a regulatory gray area. GB 4785-2019 mainly limits external vehicle lighting colors for passenger cars to white, red and amber. Blue lights are generally reserved for special vehicles such as police cars and fire trucks.

The existing standards do not directly ban intelligent driving indicator lights. However, they also do not provide a clear legal basis for external blue lights used during vehicle operation. As a result, blue intelligent driving indicator lights currently lack explicit regulatory recognition.

However, the reported regulatory details remain based on an internal industry notice. As of publication, the document has not received official confirmation from MIIT or the National Technical Committee of Auto Standardization.

ChinaEV Home has also contacted smart driving engineers from several major automakers. The engineers said their companies have not received any corresponding official regulatory notice. The final compliance requirements for blue intelligent driving indicator lights and any future certification changes will depend on MIIT’s official announcement.