Mercedes is looking to make its mark in the world of self-driving tech. The company announced (h/t Road & Track) it would be taking full responsibility for its tech when drivers engage Drive Pilot, the company’s autopilot system.
Essentially, Drive Pilot is a driver assist feature that handles mundane traffic jams. When the car is going under 40 MPH, Mercedes vehicles equipped with the feature will adjust speed, steering, and braking. It’s a handy feature and Mercedes understands it is responsible for it.
Drive Pilot has been approved in Germany and the company hopes it will be fully ready for the US by the end of 2022. Mercedes is also the first automaker to get “international certification for a Level 3 system.”
For reference, Tesla’s system is a level 2 system. Basically, this means that Tesla drivers need to keep their eyes on the road and be ready to take the wheel at any moment.
Level 3 is slightly more autonomous and technically allows drivers to take their eyes off the road for small periods of time.
By accepting responsibility, Mercedes hopes it will be able to easier navigate the still-bare US rules regarding self-driving tech.
“I would expect that, here in the United States, some other states may adopt the rules that will be applied by pioneer states like California and Nevada,” George Massing, Mercedes’ vice president of automated driving, tells Road & Track.
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