A restricted variety of U.S. Mercedes-Benz EV drivers will quickly have entry to Drive Pilot, a driver-assistance system that Mercedes claims will let drivers take their eyes off the highway in sure conditions.
Drive Pilot guarantees to advance self-driving functionality as a result of it is what Mercedes claims is an SAE Level 3 system providing “conditionally automated driving.” In this case, meaning drivers can take their arms off the wheel at low speeds on pre-mapped highways, but in addition take their eyes off the highway—one thing that is not allowed with Level 2 techniques.
Drive Pilot launched in Germany final yr, however this week Mercedes introduced that it had obtained regulator approval to deploy the system in California and Nevada. With that regulatory hurdle cleared, what Mercedes calls the “production-ready” model of Drive Pilot will seem later this yr, beginning with a “limited fleet” of EQS vehicles, adopted by a broader rollout in early 2024.
Mercedes-Benz Drive Pilot
According to a Mercedes press launch, Drive Pilot will likely be put in on 2024-model-year variations of each the EQS and the gasoline S-Class sedan and activated by the Mercedes Me Connect app retailer. Because Drive Pilot has solely obtained formal approval in California and Nevada, vehicles geared up with the system will solely be offered by taking part sellers in these states.
Pricing begins at $2,500 for an annual subscription. Mercedes claims a subscription-based mannequin is extra applicable as a result of it gives added flexibility for purchasers. If an EQS or S-Class proprietor strikes to a different state the place the system is not authorized, or to any space with out the mapped highways vital for the system to function, they will merely cease paying the subscription, Mercedes says.
Drive Pilot is not simply software program although. It consists of extra sensors on prime of what is already provided within the Driver Assistance Package for the EQS sedan and S-Class. They embody lidar, a digital camera within the rear window, microphones for detecting the sirens from emergency autos, and a road-wetness sensor in a wheel properly. Drive Pilot-equipped vehicles even have redundant steering and braking {hardware}, plus giant buttons on the steering wheel to activate and deactivate the system.
Mercedes-Benz Drive Pilot
Such a system suits the persona of the EQS, which has been a flagship for tech from the beginning. Mercedes has teased that Drive Pilot is on the best way for different fashions as properly—like doubtlessly a smaller manufacturing EV primarily based on the Concept CLA-Class just lately proven on the 2023 Munich auto present.
Tesla’s driver-assistance techniques have attracted lots of consideration from regulators. Early this yr the NHTSA identified that system posed “an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety.”
Source: www.greencarreports.com