Mercedes Drive Pilot to be offered in Nevada and California

After receiving certification for its use in the states of Nevada and California, Mercedes-Benz has announced that the production-ready version of its Drive Pilot SAE Level 3 automated driving system will soon be launching in the U.S.A.

The system will roll out in late 2023, in a limited fleet of Mercedes S-Class and EQS Sedans. Mercedes additionally states that examples of the S-Class and EQS Sedan headed to Nevada and California will also come equipped with the Drive Pilot system from 2024 onwards.

Mercedes' Drive Pilot system is able to take over the task of driving at speeds of up to 64km/h on suitable sections of the freeway, even during high traffic density. Drive Pilot can control the speed of the vehicle and its distance from the vehicle ahead, while keeping the vehicle within its lane. Certain applications on the central display can also be enabled when the Drive Pilot system is activated.

Mercedes states that the Drive Pilot system builds on the vehicle sensing technology of its Driver Assistance Package while utilising additional sensors that include LiDAR as well as a camera in the rear window and microphones to detect emergency vehicles. The Drive Pilot system also makes use of a high-precision positioning system much more powerful than conventional GPS, capable of determining the location of the vehicle within a range of inches. A digital HD map also provides information on road geometry, route characteristics, traffic signs and even special traffic events such as accidents or road works.