[peteraanger]

Anyone else love the sequential turn signals offered in other countries but not in US models?

 

[KiaevCan]

Yup. Hopefully it’ll be a simple add-on switch to enable them (at least the fronts. I fear the rear may require an entire retrofit as there may not be lights in the chrome area).

 

[Say Watt]

Anyone else love the sequential turn signals offered in other countries but not in US models?

It has to do with Federal regulation governing the size of an individual light surface area. They figure a bunch of small lights don't equal one big light.

 

[NobodyInParticular]

It has to do with Federal regulation governing the size of an individual light surface area. They figure a bunch of small lights don't equal one big light.

Audi driver jokes aside, the eTron has progressive turn signals in the US.

 

[Say Watt]

Audi driver jokes aside, the eTron has progressive turn signals in the US.

As does some other vehicles. It's permitted as long as the first bulb has a large enough surface area.

 

[Cnsheets]

They should set it so it all comes on initially, then sequentially turns off. I would think this would meet the regulation then.

 

[Say Watt]

They should set it so it all comes on initially, then sequentially turns off. I would think this would meet the regulation then.

Excellent idea. Unfortunately it's probably a long food chain before they bite.

 

[Neils EV6]

I like them they look cool but leave it to the usa to exclude them.

 

[KiaevCan]

I like them they look cool but leave it to the usa to exclude them.

And we just follow US regulations because it’s too costly to certify a separate model for Canada.

 

[alansh42]

Here's the US regulations: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-V/part-571 . The relevent table is Table IV-a - Effective Projected Luminous Lens Area Requirements. Each "compartment or lamp" for a multi-lamp turn signal must be 2200 mm^2 and the total must be 5000 mm^2. They obviously were just thinking about incandecent lamps in reflector pockets and didn't contemplate a matrix display. I assume the sections with multiple LED lamps count as one "compartment".

But if/until the regulation is changed, the animated lights are not legal. By the time they do, we'll probably have a video screen on the back of the car with the taillights drawn on it.

 

[Rich99]

I have a US Avalon Hybrid with sequential turn signals. A friend at the DOT explained to me that the requirement for sequential signals is that a portion of the signal must be full on/off instantly and the sequential portion can follow afterwards. That's exactly what the Avalon does and I've seen a number of other US vehicles with the same sequential setup (Audi, Mustang and others). It's not a deal breaker, but it's a distinctive touch for an otherwise other-worldly vehicle.

 

[Paul Henry X-Ray]

They should set it so it all comes on initially, then sequentially turns off. I would think this would meet the regulation then.

The Mach E does this with a separate amber/yellow turn signal. It lights up fully, then "fades away" to the outside edge of the car.

I personally feel very strongly that brake lights should never, in any circumstances, double as the rear turn signal light.