Mercedes-Benz, the first car company to certify SAE Level 3 in the USA
We have to go back to the end of 2021 to remember when Mercedes-Benz announced it had achieved global approval for a Level 3 autonomous driving system. Now, as early as 2023, Mercedes-Benz has become the first manufacturer in the world to achieve SAE Level 3 autonomous driving certification in the US market.
This means that the so-called ‘Drive Pilot’ system from Mercedes-Benz can take over the driving duties. The system includes a host of sensors such as LiDAR, a camera in the rear window and microphones to detect emergency vehicles, as well as a road moisture sensor in the wheel well. If the driver does not regain control of the vehicle upon request, the vehicle will come to a safe stop.
This new milestone follows on the heels of a previous partnership with Bosch and approval for a driverless parking service, not to mention a partnership with Nvidia. The Mercedes-Benz ‘Drive Pilot’ system is already present in Germany, where the green light was given for the use of these systems in 2017, as well as being possible in the UK and even in Spain, which, although it has not yet taken the big step, has included this section in the new Traffic Law.
In addition to achieving certification, now also in the United States, Mercedes-Benz was also the first manufacturer to announce that it will take on the responsibility. This new step in the US market, where Nevada is the first state to confirm the system’s compliance with state regulations, affects the S-Class models and the electric Mercedes-Benz EQS from 2024. Mercedes-Benz has already announced its intention to continue expanding into California later this year.
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