Mercedes-Benz announced that Nevada has become the first state in the United States to allow Mercedes-Benz to legally use the Drive Pilot autonomous driving system (L3 level autonomous driving technology), which is limited to 40 mph (64km / h) by law, and only on “suitable highway sections “.
In other words, the brand is now the first to receive L3 certification in the United States.
DRIVE PILOT is now reportedly the only SAE Level 3 assisted driving system certified
d to operate in the production of electric vehicles, and Mercedes is looking to expand its footprint even further this year.
Mercedes board member Markus Schäfer said: “DRIVE PILOT proves once again that our pioneering spirit is part of our DNA. The certification in Nevada marks the beginning of its international rollout and with it the start of a new era.”
Mercedes-Benz will apply Drive Pilot assisted driving in the S-Class and EQS models and deliver the first models to customers in the second half of 2023. In the meantime Mercedes-Benz hopes to expand the use to California and other places as soon as possible, after Mercedes-Benz has provided the state with the certification documents.
The Mercedes DRIVE PILOT system first hit the road in Germany in May 2022. The assisted driving in EQS, for example, makes use of existing surround sensors as well as additional sensors (including LiDAR and rear window cameras), but also detects approaching emergency vehicles using microphones as well as road humidity sensors in the wheelhouse, even down to the centimeter. Based on this data, along with high-precision GPS map data, Mercedes-Benz will ensure as safe an assisted driving experience as possible.
