London, 18 December 2023, (Oilandgaspress): – On December 16, Mercedes-Benz became one of the first automakers to receive approval for the conditionally automated driving (Level 3)[1] highway road test license in Beijing. Mercedes-Benz will begin conditionally automated driving system testing on designated highways in Beijing while always adhering to its ‘safety first’ principle. The company actively cooperates with relevant authorities in developing its Level 3 systems for China and aims to provide Chinese customers with a safe and reliable automated driving experience.
Mercedes-Benz has consistently been a pioneer in automated driving. It started in 1986 with adaptive cruise control testing. Today, it is the only car manufacturer in the world with the world’s first internationally valid system approval for conditionally automated driving and a SAE Level 4 driverless parking system in place. In China, Mercedes-Benz has been conducting proving ground tests of Level 3 systems for years.
The level 3 system DRIVE PILOT builds on the sensor technology of the Driving Assistance Package and includes additional sensors that Mercedes-Benz considers essential for safe conditionally automated driving. These include a LiDAR sensor, an advanced stereo camera in the front window, a multi-purpose camera in the rear window and microphones, especially for detecting blue lights and other special signals from emergency vehicles, as well as a moisture sensor in the front wheelhouse. In addition, the S-Class and EQS with DRIVE PILOT option has redundant steering and braking systems as well as a redundant on-board electrical system to remain manoeuvrable even if one of these systems fails and to ensure a safe handover to the driver.
The advantages for the customer are clear: during conditionally automated driving, the activated DRIVE PILOT allows the driver to take their mind off the traffic and focus on certain secondary activities, be it communicating with others via In-Car Office, browsing the web or relaxing while watching a movie. Mercedes‑Benz introduced DRIVE PILOT in Germany as an optional conditionally automated driving system in the S-Class and the all-electric EQS sedan in 2022. In the U.S., the production-ready version of DRIVE PILOT has already made its on-road debut in California and Nevada with a limited fleet of Level 3 equipped EQS Sedans. Customer deliveries of DRIVE PILOT equipped MY2024 EQS Sedan and S-Class models will be available in early 2024 through participating authorized Mercedes-Benz dealers in California and Nevada.
As far as system design is concerned, Mercedes-Benz is taking a step-by-step approach focused on safety. By the end of this decade, the manufacturer wants to expand the availability on the freeway to up to 130 km/h. In the meantime, Mercedes-Benz wants to offer intermediate steps. For Germany, the next move will be a system which can do 90 km/h when following a vehicle upfront on the German highway.
Information Source: Read full article
Energy ,Petrol , Electric Power , Natural Gas , Oil , Climate , Renewable , Wind , EV , LPG , Solar , Electric , Electric Vehicles, Hydrogen, Oil Price ,Crude Oil, Supply, Biomass , Sustainability,