- Mercedes-Benz to test self-driving vehicles in Beijing
- Mercedes to become first foreign automaker to test self-driving cars in China
- Mercedes offers a Level 3 driver assistance system called Drive Pilot in the US
Mercedes-Benz has received approval for test autonomous cars classified at level 4 in the SAE scale of autonomous driving capabilities in Beijing, becoming the first foreign automaker authorized to conduct such tests in China.
Some specific tests that Mercedes’ self-driving cars will perform include parking, reversing and turning left in heavy traffic (including making U-turns), the automaker said in a Chinese social media post on Aug. 2. Bloomberg reported.
Level 4 means a car that can operate itself without human supervision for extended periods, although only under certain conditions. Robotaxi services such as Alphabet’s Waymo One and Baidu’s Apollo Go are classified at Level 4.
Mercedes is developing its self-driving system for private cars, although the automaker could potentially use it for a robotaxi service or license it to other companies.
Mercedes’ most advanced autonomous driving system on sale today is rated at Level 3, and the system, known as Drive Pilotis limited to only a handful of regions. A Level 3 car can operate on its own without monitoring, although only for short periods.
O Pilot drive system It’s still very limited in what it can do. The system is designed to be used while crawling through traffic on select highways, and with a lead car in front and good weather conditions required. It also only works at speeds up to 40 mph, though Mercedes has plans to increase that limit.
Rival systems such as Tesla’s Autopilot with Full Self-Driving and General Motors’ Super Cruise are only ranked at Tier 2 in the rankings. SAE scale as they still require the driver to monitor the road at all times and regain control when requested.
Mercedes’ self-driving system relies on a number of cameras and sensors found in modern cars, plus some additional system-specific hardware. These include a lidar sensor, additional front and rear cameras, microphones to help detect emergency vehicles, and a humidity sensor in the front wheelhouse to detect road conditions.