The Chinese Ministry of Industry and Commerce is about to deal a serious blow to local automakers, preparing to drastically tighten the requirements for the lighting systems of new vehicles. The regulatory measures target the so-called blue daytime running lights, the presence of which could become an insurmountable obstacle to obtaining homologation and technical certification of future models.
The blue light signal quickly became a kind of calling card for intelligent driving assistants after the Lixiang brand first introduced it in its flagship crossover in 2022. The fashion was quickly picked up by other leading companies in the sector, which began to massively implement similar optical elements in their ranges. However, this design freedom comes into direct conflict with the current national standards, according to which the exterior lighting of civilian cars can vary only in the spectrum of white, red, yellow and amber.
The debate over blue lighting has divided the automotive community into two opposing camps. Supporters of the technology point out that the clearly expressed visual marker provides important orientation to other road users, demonstratively informing them that the autopilot system is activated. At the same time, critics and road safety experts warn that the non-standard color creates visual noise, distracts drivers and poses risks of confusion on the road.
The upcoming regulations pose a serious challenge to automotive concerns. When the door is finally closed for these systems, companies will be forced to deactivate or re-adjust the blue lights in their existing fleets via remote software updates. However, according to analysts from CarNewsChina, there is an alternative scenario in which the National Standardization Committee would introduce additional clarifications and regulatory frameworks for the use of blue daytime running lights at the end of the summer season.