Mercedes-Benz Is The First To Certify Level 3 Autopilot In The US
Mercedes became the first brand to offer Level 3 autonomous driving in the US. 2024 Mercedes-Benz and EQS models will be available with Drive Pilot this year.
DRIVE PILOT is the industry’s only SAE Level 3 autonomous driving system certified for use in a production vehicle. At the end of 2021, Mercedes-Benz received regulatory approval to use DRIVE PILOT on certain German roads when the vehicle is moving at a speed of 60 km/h or less. And in May, the company began selling cars with the DRIVE PILOT package.
With DRIVE PILOT, the driver can take their hands off the steering wheel while the vehicle is moving, while the autopilot controls speed and distance, as well as driving in its lane, avoiding unsafe maneuvers and reacting to the sudden appearance of other vehicles nearby. At the same time, the driver must be ready to immediately take control in the event of an emergency.
In addition to cameras and radar, the DRIVE PILOT system uses lidar data to build a 3D model of the environment, as well as microphones to detect approaching emergency vehicles.
Drive Pilot will be available as an option in the United States for the foreign Mercedes-Benz S-Class and the 2024 EQS sedan.
