Automotive lighting is returning to its core function of road safety, moving away from being merely a "styling weapon" for designers. In 2026, the revised draft of GB 4785 Installation Requirements for External Lighting and Light Signaling Devices of Motor Vehicles and Trailers was released for public comment. This revision not only involves technical requirements for vehicle lights but may also impact the exterior design, intelligent driving interaction, model certification, and market sales of new energy vehicles.
Which designs need modification? Which features might disappear? What should automakers prepare in advance?
I. Intelligent Driving "Blue Lights": L2 Models Face Adjustments
In recent years, many new energy vehicles have used external blue lights to indicate that driver-assistance systems are active, giving vehicles a more high-tech appearance. However, the revised draft further regulates status indicator lights for autonomous driving systems, primarily targeting L3 and above autonomous vehicles. This means that external blue intelligent driving lights currently used on L2 driver-assistance models may need to be removed or redesigned. Automakers need to reassess light installation positions, activation conditions, and control logic, and consider transferring intelligent driving status prompts to in-car display interfaces such as instrument clusters, center consoles, or HUDs.
II. Vehicle Lights Can No Longer Freely "Talk" or "Act Cute"
Displaying welcome messages on full-width light bars, changing headlights into smiley faces, projecting text via external lights... These once attractive designs now face stricter regulations. The revised draft restricts the content displayed by lights; except for permitted functions, external lights cannot arbitrarily display text, emojis, or anthropomorphic patterns. Vehicle lights are not entertainment screens outside the car. For models relying on "light language" interaction for differentiation, design teams must re-evaluate welcome light effects, dynamic light sequences, and external display functions to avoid impacting subsequent certification and market launch.
III. Multi-functional Tail Lights: Styling Innovation Requires Recalculation
To pursue simplicity, high-tech aesthetics, and minimalist styling, some models use the same emitting area to perform multiple functions such as turning and braking. The revised draft further clarifies restrictions on combining certain lights and adjusts rules for calculating light area and emitting surfaces. This means that some full-width tail lights, segmented lights, and multi-functional integrated lights may require re-evaluation.
Potential remediation includes: adjusting light zones and emitting areas; rearranging LED and optical structures; modifying light control logic; and if necessary, remolding and conducting optical verification. The more complex the light styling, the earlier regulatory compliance needs to be involved.
IV. Voice and Gesture Control of Lights Also Require Re-examination
The revised draft proposes further requirements for light control methods. For example, while voice commands to turn on vehicle lights are allowed, restrictions are placed on voice-controlled turning off of lights and gesture-controlled lights. This will affect the collaborative design of smart cockpit voice systems, gesture recognition functions, and body controllers. Automakers need to redefine control permissions between safety lights and entertainment interactions to prevent critical lights from being turned off due to misrecognition.
V. What Does This Mean for the Chinese Automotive Market?
The impact of this revision extends beyond R&D to model sales and product management.
For new models: Vehicles launching between 2027 and 2029 should conduct early regulatory adaptation to avoid modifying lights after styling freeze.
For existing models: Assessments are needed for intelligent driving blue lights, "light language" functions, and related promotional content. However, whether to rectify, stop sales, or recall depends on the final standard and transitional provisions.
For automaker product strategies: External lighting innovation will gradually shift from personalized expression to safety functions, compliant interaction, and intelligent illumination.
VI. What Should Automakers Do Now?
It is recommended to prioritize three tasks: Screen for high-risk features: L2 blue intelligent driving lights, external text and emoji "light language," and non-standard lights. Review light designs: Multi-functional tail lights, full-width lights, emitting areas, and DRL linkage logic.
Plan certification in advance: Integrate regulatory requirements into model development, supplier design, and test verification processes. Note that the revised draft is currently still in the public comment stage; final implementation time, transition periods, and specific requirements are subject to the officially released text. The current standard remains GB 4785-2019.
Conclusion
The future of automotive lighting does not mean no innovation, but rather that innovation must be within the boundaries of safety and regulatory allowance. For automakers, the new GB 4785 is not just an installation standard for lights, but an adjustment in product design philosophy: vehicle lights can be smarter and more high-tech, but they cannot blur traffic signals for the sake of coolness. Truly competitive lighting designs in the future will balance styling, intelligent interaction, and regulatory safety.