Already seen in the Knight Rider series in the 1980s, now also at Mercedes: With the Level 3 system Drive Pilot, a new system for autonomous driving is now available. Mercedes pays well for the “autopilot” – and it only works to a very limited extent.
Mercedes: Drive Pilot partly drives automatically
The Drive Pilot from Mercedes can now be ordered. It’s about this first system for highly automated driving available in Germany, which the manufacturer can also pay well for. In the S-Class, the automatic co-pilot is available for EUR 5,000 plus VAT, while the EQS electric model costs even more at EUR 7,400 net. A driver assistance package must also be booked here.
Unlike previous solutions, which basically only keep the respective lane or can take care of distances, the Drive Pilot with Level 3 system from Mercedes offers more. In some situations, the driver is even officially allowed to take your hands off the steering wheel – which is still not possible at Tesla.
However, the restriction still applies that drivers must be able to take control again at any time. That must within ten seconds done when prompted by the system.
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the main legal limitation relates to speed. Although Drive Pilot is allowed to take control on motorways, it is only allowed at a maximum speed of 60 km/h. The Drive Pilot regulates speed and distance, evaluating the course of the route and traffic signs. The “autopilot” can also carry out braking and evasive maneuvers independently (source: Mercedes).
More about the Drive Pilot in the video:
Mercedes Drive Pilot: Registration only in Germany
According to Mercedes, the new system for autonomous driving is on for the time being pure motorway routes in Germany limited. At the latest when crossing the border, the Drive Pilot is no longer available. By the end of the year, Mercedes is trying to obtain official series approval for the two US states of California and Nevada.