Losses and profits. Olaf Scholz, the new German chancellor, who meets Emmanuel Macron on Friday, December 10, will he fall for the new Mercedes model? From 2022, the brand’s S-Class, which will be its company car, will be able, as an option, to drive without hands and even without looking at the road! This could interest the one his compatriots nickname “Scholzomat”, the automaton, for his calm and placidity.
The brand with the star announced, Thursday, December 9, that it had just obtained the authorization of the federal regulatory authorities to deploy on its cars, in Germany, its new automatic driving system, known as “level 3”. On the highway, the automobile will fend for itself, up to 60 km / h. The driver will have to stay seated behind the wheel, but can check emails, watch a movie or do crossword puzzles. But, be careful, it is forbidden to fall asleep! He must remain able to take the wheel again at any time, if the machine so requires. Otherwise, the car will stop immediately.
A perspective that keeps receding
Mercedes-Benz is one of the first global manufacturers to take down this holy grail. Only Honda had obtained such a green light, in 2020, from the Japanese authorities for its Legend model, which was briefly marketed. On the other hand, Tesla, who communicates a lot on his Autopilot, remains confined to level 2, which requires that the pilot remain attentive to the road and keep his hands on the wheel.
German manufacturers intend to stay ahead of the global automotive industry, at least in the high end, despite the inventiveness of the little Californian geniuses. It is one thing to develop the technology, another is to industrialize it and make it compatible with everyday use. Google has been working on the driverless car since 2009, but its results remain, for now, limited to the circulation of autonomous taxis in the suburbs of Phoenix, Arizona. When the Franco-Italian Stellantis, it promises its first cars to this standard only around 2025. The good news for the French industry is that the laser radar, which allows this performance and will equip Mercedes, is built by Valeo.
However, it will take many years, even decades, before you can take a nap in the back of the car. And that perspective keeps receding. Tesla was planning its first self-driving car in 2017, Ford in 2020. The firm Accenture estimates that in 2030, level 3 cars will not even represent 3% of the market. Olaf Scholz’s driver will not soon be replaced by a machine.