Mercedes Benz Level 3
Mercedes Benz SAE has achieved Level 3 conditionally automated driving and received certification in Nevada.
Mercedes-Benz: Tesla, step aside— Mercedes-Benz has become the first automaker in the United States to be certified for SAE Level 3 hands-free driving in a standard-production (though luxury) vehicle. Mercedes’ Drive Pilot system has been certified in Nevada for conditional automatic driving on public highways. Drive Pilot will be available as an option on 2024 Mercedes-Benz S-Class and EQS electric sedans, which will be shipped from Germany to consumers in the United States beginning in the second part of 2023.
The move follows similar certification in Germany last year, where Level 3 vehicles are legally authorised to drive themselves on stretches of the Autobahn at regulated speeds, with drivers ready to take over if asked. Level 3 technologies, like Level 2 systems in cars today, allow for hands-free driving. The distinction is that Level 2 will disengage if the driver is not paying attention to the road. Level 3 does not necessitate paying attention, but the driver must be ready to resume control when indicated, such as when an emergency vehicle approaches.
Mercedes-Benz – How It Works
Mercedes-Benz: The technology will be permitted on some motorway stretches and will be capable at speeds of up to 40 mph, making it a useful tool for hands-free driving in traffic. Vehicles will notify the driver when the conditions are favourable, at which point the driver can engage Drive Pilot, which will take over driving control, obeying all traffic signs and reacting to the vehicles surrounding it as it accelerates and brakes as needed. If the driver is encouraged to take control and fails to do so despite repeated warnings, the vehicle will be brought to a halt, the danger warning lights will be activated, an emergency call will be placed, and the doors will be unlocked for first responders.
Mercedes-Benz submitted the appropriate papers late last year to certify Level 3 driving of some of its high-end automobiles in the United States—for starters, California and Nevada. If all went as planned, drivers of S-Class or EQS sedans equipped with Drive Pilot Level 3 would be able to legally check their email or watch a movie in specified jurisdictions by mid-2023. Things proceeded swimmingly, with speedy clearance from the state of Nevada. Mercedes is awaiting a response to its California application.
Mercedes-Benz team lead for autonomous driving Matthias Struck previously told MotorTrend that after certification is achieved, it will take several months to construct vehicles with the system and ship them to the United States for sale.
Mercedes-Benz – Equipped For Safety
Mercedes-Benz: The autos feature a lot of safety redundancy. MotorTrend’s demonstration vehicles in Germany are outfitted with five radars, six cameras, a moisture sensor, 12 ultrasonic sensors, a positioning system, microphones inside the car, and lidar, for a total of 35 devices working together to ensure a safe ride utilising detailed digital maps and data.
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Mercedes-Benz was the first automaker in the world to be granted international certification for Level 3 autonomous driving in May 2022, and it is currently commercially available on the two flagship sedans. In Germany, certification took only four weeks.
The United States is unique in that standards vary across the country and driving laws are regulated state by state. Driving restrictions are national law in Germany, and they apply equally in all regions. Mercedes eventually hopes to add more states, nations, and cars that support Drive Pilot Level 3.