NHTSA Proposes Cyan Lights for Driverless Cars Like Cybercab

NHTSA wants to update federal lighting rules for cars that drive themselves. The agency has filed a proposed rule to modernize Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 108, the federal vehicle lighting standard, for autonomous vehicles without a steering wheel or pedals, like Tesla’s Cybercab. The headline change is a new set of optional cyan “ADS marker lamps” that would let people know a vehicle is driving itself.

The filing was spotted by @scotsrule08 on X. NHTSA’s proposed changes will be published in the Federal Register on October 26, followed by a 30-day comment period.

How the Cyan Lights Would Work

According to the filing, ADS marker lamps would be permitted but not required on passenger cars, multipurpose vehicles, trucks, and buses. Vehicles could use one or two cyan lamps on the front, on each side, and on the rear, all mounted at least 15 inches off the ground. A single front or rear lamp would sit on the vehicle’s centerline, while a pair would need to be at the same height and evenly spaced. Multiple-lamp arrangements beyond that wouldn’t be allowed.

The lamps would stay steadily lit rather than flash, and all of them would switch on and off together. They could turn on automatically when the vehicle is driving without anyone expected to watch the road, and they’d have to turn off when an occupant is expected to monitor it. In other words, they’re meant for true driverless operation, not FSD (Supervised). During Tesla’s Q3 earnings call earlier this week, Ashok Elluiswamy said unsupervised FSD could reach the first customer vehicles in Q2 2027.

Even if the rule is finalized, the lights stay optional, so automakers that don’t want them won’t have to add them.

Mercedes tested similar turquoise lights for its Drive Pilot system between 2023 and 2025, though only with approval in California and Nevada. When we looked at whether Tesla should add a similar self-driving light, the upside was a common visual language and clear indicator for autonomous cars. The concerns were that the lights could make vehicles a target, or lead pedestrians and other drivers to take more risks around them.

Not a Tesla App

Other Changes in the Proposal

The cyan lamps are only part of the rule. Requirements for physical turn signal, hazard, and high-beam controls would apply only to vehicles with manual driving controls, letting the self-driving system in vehicles like the Cybercab handle those functions without traditional switches. Some dashboard indicators for turn signals and high beams would also go away in these vehicles.

NHTSA is also dropping old restrictions on vertical headlight layouts and would allow integrated headlights to be tested at manufacturer-specified voltages rather than only 12.8 volts. The proposal builds on NHTSA’s earlier move to drop the manual brake pedal requirement for vehicles driven exclusively by an automated system.

Cybercab Still Under Scrutiny

Rule changes don’t mean Tesla is in the clear, however. NHTSA still has an open investigation into how the Cybercab was certified for commercial deployment, and Tesla recently received an extension to respond to the probe.

artsimage / X

The rollout hasn’t slowed in the meantime. Tesla has more than 300 Cybercabs operating in Austin, with Dallas rides expected to launch next month. It’s also trying to sell its first Cybercabs to customers before the end of the year, which leaves about two months to make that happen.

Once the comment period closes in late November, NHTSA will still need to finalize the rule. If it passes, Cybercab’s lighting would have a clearer federal path, whether or not Tesla decides to add the cyan lights.