Mercedes-Benz Level 3 Drive Pilot Tech Certified For Use In US

When it comes to autonomous driving and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), nobody has gone further than Honda and Mercedes-Benz. In the U.S., the pioneer in Level 3 systems is the German automaker, which just obtained a Nevada certification approving the use of Drive Pilot on the state’s highways.
 

The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) determined five levels of autonomy. Level 2 systems automate braking and steering but require the driver to monitor the vehicle constantly. Level 3 features make the car truly autonomous in a few situations. In Drive Pilot’s case, it drives the vehicle at speeds of up to 40 mph (64 kph) “on suitable freeway sections and where there is high traffic density.” In other words, it takes care of traffic jams.
 
Level 3 systems are the first on the SAE scale responsible for monitoring the driving environment while in control. However, it may still require the driver to take over, which is why it is defined as conditional automation. Level 4 systems are defined as highly automated systems, but they require geofencing. Full autonomy is only present in Level 5 systems. There are no vehicles with Level 4 or Level 5 systems available for sale, which means no current car is autonomous – despite what some people may claim on Twitter or in old videos around there.
 
Mercedes-Benz described all the work it had to develop Drive Pilot. Focusing on safety and operational reliability, it gave vehicles equipped with the feature even more sensors than they already have with the Driving Assistance Package. LiDAR is the main one, as well as a camera in the rear window, road wetness sensors in the wheel well, and even microphones for detecting emergency vehicles. However, the German company was cautious with redundancy.
 
Vehicles with Drive Pilot have redundant steering and braking actuators and even a redundant onboard electrical system, with a 12V battery of its own. That is how the company made sure the cars would still operate should any system fail. Considering Level 3 systems theoretically have the carmaker as the one in charge of driving when they are active, these precautions may even need to be reinforced.
 
The Mercedes-Benz Level 3 system offers to take control of the vehicle when conditions are met through control buttons on the left and right of the steering wheel rim above the thumb recesses. If the driver fails to take over for whatever reason, Drive Pilot brakes the vehicle in a controlled manner, activates hazard warning lights and the emergency call system, and unlocks the doors so that the driver and the passengers can be rescued.
 
Besides Nevada, Mercedes-Benz said the next state to have its Level 3 system available will be California, where it has already filed the papers for approval. Buyers of the model year 2024 Mercedes-Benz S-Class and EQS Sedan units will be the first ones able to order Drive Pilot. They should start receiving their cars by the second half of 2023.