Mercedes-Benz has received approval from the German Federal Motor Transport Authority following the update of its condition-dependent automated driving system DRIVE PILOT. DRIVE PILOT is expected to go on sale in Germany at the beginning of 2025. With this update, DRIVE PILOT becomes the fastest condition-dependent automated driving system (SAE Level 3[1]) available in a standard-production vehicle. The system is available as an option in the two luxury sedan series S-Class and EQS. Vehicles equipped with DRIVE PILOT can receive the update free of charge via the Internet (over-the-air update) or from vehicle repair shops. No modifications to the vehicle are required for the software update.
With the latest update, DRIVE PILOT can be used on the entire German autobahn network, which is more than 13 kilometres long, in traffic at speeds of up to 95 km/h under certain conditions. This will allow car owners to make better use of their time by travelling more frequently and for longer periods without using the vehicle in automatic driving mode. When DRIVE PILOT is activated, the driver is legally allowed to consider options such as watching TV, reading a newspaper (physically or via the MBUX system), working or simply relaxing.
Redundant system architecture for security
Safety remains the top priority for this updated version of DRIVE PILOT. Since important functions such as electrics, steering and braking are integrated twice, the system has a redundant design. If necessary, the system can always hand over driving to the driver. If the driver is increasingly warned and cannot regain control after the takeover period has expired (e.g. due to a serious health problem), the system activates warning lights and slows the vehicle down to a controlled stop. More than 35 sensors are used in the system, such as cameras, radars, ultrasonic sensors and LiDAR (laser-radar). These operate according to different physical principles and provide backups for precise and real-time detection of the environment. The use of LiDAR at SAE Level 3 and above is also of great importance for the safe autonomous driving offered by Mercedes-Benz. The special positioning system enables DRIVE PILOT to know which lane the vehicle is driving in with a margin of a few centimetres, using a highly detailed digital map.
The future of autonomous driving
The development at Mercedes-Benz continues with the aim of offering customers higher speeds, longer driving times without driver intervention, and greater comfort and safety. Road traffic will become safer as more autonomous vehicles are on the road. Mercedes-Benz currently wants to reach the legal maximum speed of 130 km/h for conditionally autonomous driving in Germany by the end of 2030.
The development also takes into account issues that are not directly related to automated driving technology. Mercedes-Benz is the world’s first car manufacturer to develop special turquoise lights that make it obvious from the outside whether DRIVE PILOT is active. This allows other drivers on the road to spot a Level 3 vehicle and feel comfortable when they see a driver reading a book, for example. This way, autonomous driving vehicles are also being accepted by the public, while traffic police and security forces can assess the status of the system. Although the use of such ‘Autonomous Driving Signal Lights’ has not yet been authorised in Germany, the feedback from the first round of tests in the USA has been positive. Authorities in California and Nevada have approved the ‘Autonomous Driving Signal Lights’ for testing purposes or for use in future vehicles by the end of 2023.
