Mercedes-Benz will provide Drive Pilot, the primary Stage 3 autonomous driving system authorised for European public roads, as an possibility on S-Class and EQS fashions beginning Might 17.
Drive Pilot will price 5,000 euros ($5,300) on the S-Class and seven,430 euros on the EQS in Germany, Mercedes mentioned Friday.
The system permits the automotive to take management of driving capabilities beneath sure situations, releasing the motive force to do different issues reminiscent of reply emails. Drive Pilot is authorised to be used on about 13,000 km (8,100 miles) German highways at speeds of 60 kph or much less, that means its major use can be in congested visitors or visitors jams.
Drive Pilot makes use of radar, lidar and cameras, in addition to ultrasound and moisture sensors, to supply information on highway situations to automobile computer systems. It controls velocity, braking and lane place.
The system can ask the motive force to take management at any time, a prerequisite for Stage 3 autonomy. If the motive force doesn’t reply inside 10 seconds, the automotive will come to an emergency cease.
The system shall be provided solely in new vehicles, and can’t be retrofitted, a Mercedes spokesman mentioned Friday, as a result of it requires set up of further {hardware}.
Mercedes obtained approval in December from German regulators for the system, beating Tesla and different rivals within the race to win certification for conditionally assisted driving, or Stage 3 on the SAE scale.
The automaker is aiming to obtain certification to promote the system in California and Nevada by the tip of this 12 months. Germany stays the one European nation that permits some Stage 3 automated driving, the Mercedes spokesman mentioned.
BMW, Mercedes’ premium rival, hopes to win approval this 12 months for a Stage 3 system in its new 7 Collection luxurious sedan. Tesla has lengthy promised true “palms off” skills for its Full Self Driving bundle however nonetheless requires drivers to be totally attentive and able to take over.
Audi had ready its A8 sedan for Stage 3 driving however suspended the trouble in 2020, and Honda received conditional approval in Japan in 2021 for the same system however deployed it solely in restricted manufacturing.
Volvo is testing what it calls “unsupervised autonomous driving,” which it goals to have obtainable to clients in California first earlier than rolling it out in different markets.
Stellantis says it can have Stage 3 obtainable by 2024.
Mercedes says it’s getting ready for the following step in automated driving with “pre-installation” of Clever Park Pilot, which allows driverless parking.