Germans allowed to drive autonomous vehicles in California: Mercedes overtakes Tesla

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When it comes to autonomous driving, Mercedes is in the fast lane: The German automaker has received the green light from US authorities in the state of California for its “Drive Pilot” technology. Nevada had confirmed in January that the Drive Pilot from Stuttgart complies with local regulations for autonomous vehicles.

Mercedes is now allowed to sell or rent self-driving vehicles in the most populous US state. This system allows for hands-free driving on certain highways and without looking at the road – experts speak of highly autonomous driving at level 3 (also interesting: the dream of the robot car).

Write SMS while driving

The California Department of Motor Vehicles said in early June that drivers can use systems like Drive Pilot without the active control of a human driver in certain conditions. Drive Pilot is now available in California’s Bay Area, Central Valley, Los Angeles, Sacramento, and San Diego areas.

Specifically, drivers of a proprietary Mercedes can watch videos, write emails and text messages, read a book or play with third-party apps while driving. It also allows the driver to actively look at the front passenger while driving and steer clear of traffic.

still a long way

According to California officials, Mercedes is the first automaker in California to be allowed to sell or lease vehicles with Level 3 self-driving systems. However, in mature situations, it will take some time before the system can drive autonomously. The assistant has so far been designed for very specific situations because, except that it is only allowed on certain highways, you can only use the Drive Pilot in heavy traffic or in a traffic jam, i.e. at speeds up to 60 km. /H. In addition, use of the Drive Pilot at night is prohibited and may only be used during the day.

Tesla is not at the level yet

Not only in the USA, but worldwide, Mercedes is the leader with its Drive Pilot system. All other advanced autopilots, including Tesla’s fully self-driving system, only allow level 2. Drivers should always monitor road conditions and keep their hands on the wheel.

According to Mercedes, the Drive Pilot will be available in the American market as an optional extra for the S-Class and EQS models in the 2024 model year. Deliveries of the first cars are expected at the end of this year. By the end of this decade, highly autonomous driving will be possible on the highway at speeds of up to 130 km/h. As a temporary step, Mercedes wants to provide its customers in Germany with an expansion phase that allows certain models to automatically follow a vehicle ahead on the motorway at a high level of speed of around 90 km/h.

Source: Blick