VAUXHALL SHOWCASES AI-POWERED LIGHT COMMUNICATION IN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES

26 Sep 2025

• Pioneer in lighting innovations: Sophisticated headlight systems already available in numerous Vauxhall models
• In-house creation: Vauxhall engineers create unique demonstrator car with signature lighting innovations
• Ongoing cooperation: Vauxhall, Stellantis and the TU Darmstadt have been conducting joint research into new lighting technologies since 2022

At this year's International Symposium on Automotive Lighting (ISAL), Vauxhall, Stellantis and the Technical University of Darmstadt (TU Darmstadt) revealed a special Vauxhall Grandland. The test vehicle demonstrates how SAE Level 3-capable (hands-off, eyes-off) autonomous vehicles could communicate with other road users via lighting systems in future.

Making pioneering lighting technologies available to customers is a long-standing tradition at Vauxhall. The lighting innovations currently available in various Vauxhall models include:

• Intelli-LED: featured in Corsa and Mokka
• Intelli-Lux Matrix: available in Corsa, Mokka, and Combo
• Intelli-Lux Pixel Light: showcased in Astra and Astra Sports Tourer
• Intelli-Lux HD Light: debuting in the new Grandland

At Vauxhall, lighting innovation goes beyond enhancing visibility: it's about creating safer, smarter interactions on the road. At the International Symposium on Automotive Lighting in Darmstadt, Philipp Röckl, Global Lead Lighting at Stellantis, and Julisa Le, Lead Innovation Engineer, presented a forward-looking concept: how autonomous vehicles can use light to communicate with pedestrians and other road users. To bring this idea to life, the team collaborated with the Vauxhall Concept Workshop and students from TU Darmstadt to develop a unique Vauxhall Grandland demonstrator.

"Headlights clearly play an important part in increasing road safety - but modern lighting systems are capable of so much more. For example, lighting signatures can easily be animated and used for animations. And the illuminated Griffin on the Grandland can be substituted by a display that can both show the illuminated emblem and be used to communicate with other road users and pedestrians. By using existing lighting elements, it makes it easy to add communication features once we introduce autonomous driving features in our cars" said Röckl.

To demonstrate what cars of the future could be capable of, the team first defined the use cases, those being 'possible danger from a pedestrian or other situation' and 'the situation is safe and the danger from a pedestrian is no longer present'. In simpler terms, this represents situations that most motorists have encountered such as a child chasing a ball onto the road or a pedestrian emerging from between two parked cars. With this in mind, the team then fitted the Grandland with a camera system for object and gesture detection, as well as intention prediction using artificial intelligence. And then set about refining the lighting systems.

When operating in SAE Level 3 or higher, the front and rear indicators of the Grandland permanently shine in cyan - giving a clear signal to other road users. At the same time, the remaining signature lighting remains in the usual white. When the camera systems detect a pedestrian in the path of the vehicle, the signature lighting changes to magenta and the display shows a warning signal in the same colour thus visually notifying the pedestrian the car is approaching. At the same time, the vehicle begins to decelerate. Once the Grandland has come to standstill, the signature lighting changes to green and the display shows a green walking figure known from pedestrian crossing lights to indicate that the car has recognised the danger, come to a halt and that the pedestrian can now cross. In the event that the situation cannot be managed by the AI algorithm, the driver is prompted to take control of the vehicle, in line with industry standards for ADAS protocols.

"We specifically chose colours that are not already associated with other vehicle functions to avoid misunderstandings. For example, red is intuitively understandable, but it is already used for stop lights or the rear lights of cars. Cyan and magenta have been thoroughly evaluated for perception purposes and are currently not present in any traffic situations. Both ensure clear, unambiguous communication with other road users," added Le.

This innovation reflects Vauxhall's commitment to accessible, intelligent safety for all road users while simultaneously building trust in autonomous vehicles.

Vauxhall, Stellantis and the TU Darmstadt started joint research into new lighting technologies in 2022. The cooperation is part of the global Stellantis research network with respected universities. In the so-called 'OpenLabs', scientific knowledge is gained for use in technology systems of future vehicle generations. The strategic partnership with TU Darmstadt will enable a new era of lighting technologies. In addition, Stellantis is currently funding three doctoral students at the university's Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology.

ENDS

ABOUT VAUXHALL MOTORS

Vauxhall Motors started making cars in the UK in 1903. Today, as the oldest and most familiar of Britain's automotive manufacturers, its philosophy is to build vehicles that are relevant to all and offer design, high levels of equipment and technology, and electrification at an attainable level. Vauxhall is one of few automotive brands to produce electric vehicles in Britain at its manufacturing plant in Ellesmere Port - the UK's first electric-only manufacturing plant where the Combo Electric van is made. Vauxhall's Electric Streets of Britain campaign raises the profile of the need for more on-street electric vehicle charging so that everyone can benefit from the switch to electric. Find out more at https://www.electricstreets.co.uk

Vauxhall is part of Stellantis NV, a global leader created for the new era of sustainable mobility as a result of the merger between Groupe PSA and FCA Group in January 2021. Vauxhall is a leader in electrification - as of 2021, it was one of the first manufacturers to offer fully electric versions of all its vans. Since the end of 2024, Vauxhall has offered a fully electric version of every model in its car and van line-up. Info: https://www.vauxhall.co.uk

PRESS CONTACTS

Michael Lear Performance Communications

[email protected] 07813 479 357

Matthew Bendall Head of PR, Vauxhall

[email protected] 07920 163 854

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