Autonomous vehicle technology is one of the most important trends shaping the future of the automotive industry. Many automakers are investing in this area to make their vehicles smarter, safer and more efficient. However, a number of legal and technical hurdles must be overcome before autonomous vehicles can be used commercially.
In this context, Mercedes-Benz, which dealt a big blow to Tesla, became the first automaker in California to get permission to sell or lease its autonomous driving cars. The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has certified that the luxury car company’s SAE Level 3 Drive Pilot system can operate on certain highways and in certain conditions without the active control of the human driver.
Features and limitations of the Mercedes-Benz Drive Pilot system
The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) defines six levels of autonomous driving rating systems, ranging from 0 (fully manual) to 5 (fully autonomous). Level 3 is defined as conditional automation and is a level where the vehicle must have environmental sensing capabilities. An autonomous vehicle of this level should be able to perform most tasks, but the driver must have a mechanism ready to engage in the unexpected situation.
Mercedes-Benz’s new Drive Pilot system promises a comfortable and safe autonomous driving with the awareness provided by the many sensors it contains. In this context, they have also obtained the permission to sell autonomous vehicles. However, they were subject to certain conditions.
The DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) listed the conditions of the permit as follows: The Mercedes-Benz Drive Pilot system can only operate on certain highways during daylight hours at a speed not exceeding 64 km/h. The permit prevents the Drive Pilot system from operating on city or county streets, in construction areas, during heavy rain or heavy fog, on flooded roads, and in weather conditions that could affect Drive Pilot’s performance. In addition, vehicle owners were asked to watch a mandatory video explaining the capabilities of the Drive Pilot system and learn how to enable and disable the technology.
This success of Mercedes-Benz is seen as a big move against Tesla. Because it became the second company to start selling autonomous vehicles in California, Tesla’s largest market. Mercedes-Benz’s Drive Pilot system is more advanced than Tesla’s Fully Autonomous Driving (FSD) system according to SAE standards. Let’s see what the competition will show us in the future.
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