On December 17, Mercedes-Benz announced that its updated DRIVE PILOT autonomous driving system has been officially approved by the German Federal Motor Transport Authority.
It is reported that under certain conditions, drivers can use the Mercedes-Benz DRIVE PILOT autonomous driving system on the 13,191-kilometer German highway network and drive at a maximum speed of 95 kilometers per hour, making DRIVE PILOT the fastest L3 autonomous driving certification system in standard mass-produced vehicles.
At the same time, Mercedes-Benz said that its latest DRIVE PILOT autonomous driving system is expected to be available in Germany in spring 2025, and the starting price will remain unchanged at 5,950 euros, including VAT. Existing DRIVE PILOT customers can get the update for free through OTA (over-the-air update technology), and the software update does not require any changes to any vehicle parts. It is reported that the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and EQS luxury sedans can choose to be equipped with the DRIVE PILOT autonomous driving system.
When the DRIVE PILOT autonomous driving system is activated, the driver can legally carry out other activities, such as watching TV, watching movies through the Sony RIDEVU application, reading newspapers, working or resting. This allows customers to drive more frequently and for longer periods of time in autonomous driving mode, while making better use of their free time.
The development goal of Mercedes-Benz DRIVE PILOT is to provide customers with faster speeds, longer driving times, greater comfort and safety. Currently, German law allows a maximum speed of 130 km/h for autonomous vehicles. Mercedes-Benz hopes that its cars equipped with autonomous driving systems will be able to reach this speed range in 2030.
It is worth noting that the L3 autonomous driving system can take over some driving tasks, but still requires driver supervision. When the vehicle prompts the driver to intervene, the driver must be ready to control the vehicle at any time.