Mercedes-Benz has received permission from California regulators to sell or lease vehicles with Level 3 autonomous driving technology (which requires driver control but no pedaling) on certain roads, according to Reuters . The California Department of Motor Vehicles issued a permit for the company's Drive Pilot system under certain conditions and on certain roads. Mercedes-Benz previously received similar certification in Nevada.
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Mercedes-Benz's Drive Pilot will allow drivers to steer their car without constantly looking at the road or keeping their hands on the steering wheel. They can also do other things while driving, such as watching videos or sending messages. If you drive according to the rules of use, Mercedes will be legally responsible for any accidents that occur, and not you as the driver.
To achieve all these functions, the Drive Pilot system uses sensors located in various parts of the vehicle, such as optical cameras, LiDAR systems, radar/ultrasonics and audio microphones to ensure that you hear other vehicles approaching in the event of an emergency. It can compare data from sensors and GPS to accurately determine your position on the roads.
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It's not as advanced as the systems in Waymo and Cruise, which allow for full self-driving without a driver. But it's more advanced than Tesla, which is actually a Level 2 system and requires drivers to keep their hands on the wheel and be attentive at all times.
Use is only permitted in high traffic situations during the day, at speeds below 40 MPH, and drivers must be active to maintain control of the vehicle. Therefore, moving to the back seat and resting there is not possible. To enable this feature, the vehicle uses a car monitor to monitor the driver. If Drive Pilot is driving at a speed greater than 40 mph, or if an emergency vehicle appears, or if it is raining, or in other situations where Drive Pilot cannot handle its own, then you will need to take control of the vehicle.
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The system will be available in the S-Class and EQS Sedan , with first deliveries expected later this year.
