Drivers of Mercedes with Drive Pilot will in certain circumstances be able to drive the vehicle independently without their hands on the steering wheel.
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When it comes to autonomous driving, most of us think of the Tesla Autopilot system, which has long been completely unique with unrivaled capabilities. However, traditional carmakers have not been embarrassed for a long time and now the card is slowly turning. At least on the old continent.
Mercedes-Benz has received approval from the German KBA, which oversees road safety, to release its Drive Pilot autonomous steering system for its customers, which is offered by third-level assistants. At the same time, the Tesla Autopilot system still remains rated as a second-level system.
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KBA’s approval for the Mercedes-Benz Drive Pilot, which should be fitted with the flagship S-Class and EQS models as early as the first half of next year, will allow drivers to drive independently and without having to have their hands on the wheel at speeds up to 60 km / h.
„Drive Pilot will allow drivers not to deal with traffic and focus on certain secondary activities, “Said the carmaker. As an example, he mentions talking to colleagues, writing e-mails, browsing the Internet or watching movies.
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The system may now come in handy, for example, when driving in traffic jams, but it has higher ambitions in the future. However, it is not yet certain when the German authorities will allow its functionality, for example at speeds up to 130 km / h, or when it will allow the assistant to make autonomous lane-to-lane overtaking and overtaking.
At the same time, third-level autonomous and semi-autonomous control systems were approved in Germany as early as 2017. According to Mercedes-Benz, there are around 13,100 kilometers of motorways in Germany where the Drive Pilot system could be used safely.
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KBA’s approval to deploy a third-level autonomous management system is currently only valid for Germany, but the carmaker is reportedly already seeking its approval in other world markets. The USA and China will be among the most important.
Tesla, which is considered a pioneer of autonomous management systems, has sought the German authorities’ recognition of a higher category of autonomous management system in the past, but has run into Autopilot, which may give customers false expectations about the system’s capabilities. The system is still referred to as a second-level assistant, and drivers are still required to have their hands on the steering wheel so that they can take control of the car at any time.
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