Mercedes-Benz has obtained approval from the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt) for their advanced DRIVE PILOT system, which allows conditionally automated driving (SAE Level 3) at speeds of up to 95 km/h ( 59 mph). This achievement makes DRIVE PILOT the fastest certified Level 3 autonomous driving system on a standard production vehicle in Germany.
Available as an optional feature on the luxury S-Class and EQS sedan models, DRIVE PILOT will be commercially available in Germany by spring 2025. Existing customers will receive the update for free via Over-the -Air (OTA) software update or during a routine workshop visit, without the need for any hardware modifications.
Markus Schäfer, Chief Technology Officer of Mercedes-Benz, expressed his pride in this achievement, emphasizing the system's safety-first approach and its potential to transform in-car experiences. With DRIVE PILOT activated, drivers can engage in other activities such as watching TV, streaming content using the Sony RIDEVU app, or working.
DRIVE PILOT navigates Germany's extensive 8,196-mile Autobahn network, using a sensor suite that includes LiDAR, cameras, radar, and ultrasonic sensors. Its redundant architecture ensures that critical systems such as braking, steering, and electrics have fail-safe backups, increasing reliability and safety.
In the future, Mercedes-Benz aims to increase the system's top speed to 130 km/h (80 mph) by the end of the decade, in accordance with Germany's legal framework. In addition, the brand continues to test its innovative turquoise "Automated Driving Marker Lights" in the U.S., designed to show the autonomous driving mode to other motorists around.
