German legacy automaker Mercedes-Benz proudly announced Thursday that its SAE Level 3 autonomous driver assist system had secured the necessary permit to operate in California.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles’ approval of the Drive Pilot advanced Mercedes’ position towards full autonomy, ultimately beating America’s EV leader Tesla.
What’s the big deal?
The autonomous vehicle deployment permit granted by the California regulators enables Mercedes to sell or lease its Drive Pilot-equipped electric cars in the state, which supports “hands-off, eyes-off” driving on certified highways in the Bay area, central valley, Los Angeles, Sacramento, and San Diego.
Mercedes customers can use the brand’s conditional automated driving system only on certain California highways, which includes Interstate 15. The Drive Pilot does not require drivers’ active attention under certain conditions, allowing them to engage with other tasks such as video streaming, texting, etc.
The DMV noted that the German automaker is the first automaker permitted to sell or lease its automated driving system to the public.
“We are extremely proud to continue our Level 3 conditionally automated driving leadership and remain at the forefront of innovation in the US market with certification in California. This game-changing system underscores our ambition to lead in safety and technology, and provides unparalleled convenience for our valued customers by giving them back time while safely navigating today’s congested freeways.”
Dimitris Psillakis, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA
What exactly is Drive Pilot?
Mercedes’ Drive Pilot differs greatly from the full self-driving systems developed by companies like Waymo, Cruise, and Zoox.
The Drive Pilot system manages driving tasks in certain situations without the active management of a human driver by combining sensors like lidar, radar, and camera with software.
Moreover, the system can only function in daylight at up to 40 miles per hour speed. According to the DMV, the system would not operate on city or county roads, construction zones, during periods of heavy rain or fog, on flooded roadways, or when other weather conditions are deemed to have an adverse effect on the system’s functionality.
In contrast, Waymo’s system can support higher speeds even at night on public roads with no expectation from human passengers to take control.
“Mercedes-Benz DRIVE PILOT is the world’s only SAE Level 3 system with internationally valid type approval. It builds on a very robust foundation, setting new industry standards. DRIVE PILOT uses a highly sophisticated vehicle architecture based on redundancy with a multitude of sensors enabling comfortable and safe conditionally automated driving. The certification by the authorities in California and in Nevada once again confirms that redundancy is the safe and thus the right approach.”
Markus Schäfer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes‑Benz Group AG, Chief Technology Officer, responsible for Development and Procurement
In addition to controlling the vehicle’s speed, distance, and lane guidance, DRIVE PILOT will keep an eye on all traffic signs and other roadside occurrences. It will also respond autonomously to unforeseen traffic scenarios by making “evasive maneuvers within the lane” or braking.
“If the driver fails to take back control even after increasingly urgent prompting and expiration of the takeover time (e.g., due to a severe health problem), the system brakes the vehicle to a standstill in a controlled manner while engaging the hazard warning lights. Once the vehicle has come to a standstill, the Mercedes‑Benz emergency call system is activated and the doors are unlocked to ensure the vehicle is accessible for first responders.”
Mercedes-Benz
It must also be noted that the DMV has imposed additional conditions on Mercedes, such as requiring vehicle owners to watch a video about the system’s capabilities and functionalities before gaining access. Through this, they will also learn how to activate and deactivate the system.
See Also:
- Mercedes-Benz’s Drive Pilot to rival Tesla’s FSD in China
- Mercedes-Benz to offer SAE Level 3 system, conditional autonomous driving in the US
- Mercedes to offer US’ first level 3 self-driving technology
- Mercedes Benz opens sales for Drive Pilot in Germany
- Tesla discreetly tests FSD software in Australia, per report
Mercedes has adopted a cautious stance concerning its Drive Pilot system, obtaining approval from every regulatory authority in the US state where it is legal to use such technology.
In hindsight, Mercedes initially launched the Drive Pilot in Germany last year. The state of Nevada followed it earlier this year.
