Nevada has become the first US state to certify Mercedes-Benz and its Level 3 conditional automated driving system. Mercedes is the first automaker to bring this level of autonomous driving to the US, offering its Drive Pilot technology in select vehicles .
The system takes over the driving of the vehicle, allowing the driver to concentrate on secondary activities. Drive Pilot operates on suitable highways with heavy traffic at speeds up to 40 miles per hour (64 kilometers per hour). Control buttons on the steering wheel rim indicate when the system is operational, and the driver simply presses them to engage it. Drive Pilot can control the car’s speed and distance, guiding it into its lane while performing evasive maneuvers in response to unexpected traffic situations.
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Mercedes equips the car with sensors, drawing on the company’s driver assistance package to create Drive Pilot. Vehicles with this technology are equipped with a rear window camera and microphones to detect emergency vehicles and a road moisture sensor in the wheel arch. Mercedes also uses LiDAR to keep the car where it needs to be. The company installs redundant steering and brake actuators as well as a redundant on-board electrical system to ensure a safe transfer to the driver.
The system has a fail-safe if the driver ignores system prompts to regain control of the vehicle. If this happens, the vehicle will apply the brakes, activate the hazard warning lights, unlock the doors and activate the emergency call system once the car is stopped.
Another feature of the Drive Pilot system is its high-precision positioning system, which Mercedes says is more powerful than conventional GPS. Map accuracy is measured in centimeters instead of meters like regular navigation systems, providing a three-dimensional image of the road and its surroundings with road geometry information also available. Mercedes stores the map in a data center, accessible by its vehicles and allowing precise positioning.
Mercedes will offer Drive Pilot in the 2024 S-Class and EQS sedan, delivering the first cars to customers in the second half of 2023. The company hopes to expand the use of Drive Pilot to California once it has already filed state certification.
