China to Ban 'Little Blue Lights' Nationwide: Blue ADAS Indicator Lamps to Exit Passenger Vehicles

The iconic visual element of China's advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) — the so-called 'Little Blue Light' — is set to officially retire. Multiple industry sources confirm that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) will strictly enforce GB4785-2019: Type Approval and Installation Requirements for External Lighting and Light-Signaling Devices on Motor Vehicles and Trailers. Starting next month, all newly submitted passenger vehicle models equipped with blue ADAS operational indicator lamps will be denied product approval.

The National Automobile Standardization Technical Committee is expected to concurrently release supplementary technical requirements for GB4785, further clarifying enforcement details prohibiting non-standard-color indicator lamps on passenger vehicle exteriors. This means the widely adopted blue-light alert design — used by numerous automakers — will be phased out across new vehicle R&D, type approval, and production stages.

The current mandatory national standard GB4785-2019 explicitly permits only white, red, yellow, and amber colors for external lighting and light-signaling devices; blue and green are unauthorized. Since Li L9 debuted its five blue indicator lamps in August 2022, the 'Little Blue Light' has lingered in a regulatory gray zone. Subsequently, mainstream new-energy automakers including AITO, Xpeng, NIO, and BYD — as well as traditional OEMs — followed suit. The 2026 Li L9 model even integrates the blue indicators into its 'Star Ring' light strip, illuminating the full ring in blue upon system activation, establishing it as a signature human-machine interaction cue.

This ban stems from dual drivers: safety consensus and public perception. Critics argue that blue lighting at night can visually distract other road users and may be mistaken for turn signals — posing potential safety hazards. Others worry the lamp may lead drivers to subjectively interpret system activation as 'full vehicle takeover,' thereby weakening their responsibility for active monitoring. Proponents counter that, as a clear external indicator for L2+ ADAS operation, such lights provide essential warning value in complex mixed-traffic scenarios.

Automakers are urgently adjusting. GEELY told Yi Cai Global it has been informed of the development and will fully comply with national regulations. According to insiders cited by Everyday Economic News, MIIT is studying transitional management measures for already-marketed models. For future models, some experts speculate manufacturers may use over-the-air (OTA) updates to change indicator color (e.g., to amber) or disable the function entirely to meet compliance requirements.