Autonomous driving: Mercedes obtains a crucial homologation before Tesla
The manufacturer is "the world's leading automotive group" to have received authorization to market highly autonomous vehicles in accordance with the UN-R157 standard, where local legislation authorizes it, according to a press release from the group.
An autonomous "level 3" car can drive without human intervention in certain specific situations.
The first customers will be able to buy from the first half of 2022 in Germany in Germany Mercedes class S equipped with a LIDAR system (Laser telemetry) of the Valeo equipment supplier.
The system can then only be used in the event of a high traffic on highways, with a maximum speed of 60 km/h.
The device provides that the driver can consult emails, navigate the internet or watch a film on the central screen of the car, but it must be at any time capable of intervening if the system asks him.If he does not react within a certain delay, the car stops automatically "securely".
"System tests are in particular underway in the United States and China," notes Daimler.
Germany is European pioneers in autonomous driving: since 2017, level 3 driving has been authorized.The manufacturer Audi thought of joining this technology on its flagship, the A8, before retracting.
At the end of 2020, Japan became the first country in the world to approve an autonomous level 3 system on public highway, integrated on a Honda Legend, marketed in limited series in spring 2021.
At Tesla, the autonomous driving marketed currently requires an attentive driver at any time, supervising the operations of the on -board computer (called "Level 2").
Elon Musk's company, a pioneer of electrical and autonomous mobility, is also under fire of the criticisms of the American regulator, which criticizes him for having ignored his recommendations on the driving aid system.
The Stellantis group (Peugeot-Fiat) plans to implement its first level 3 system in 2024, developed with BMW, "before extending it to all ranges" of its 14 brands, assured Joachim Langenwalter on Tuesday, vice-president of engineering, during a press conference on software.