Mercedes-Benz Announces US Availability of Drive Pilot

Mercedes-Benz will launch its production-ready version of Drive Pilot in the United States. The class-leading system for conditionally automated driving rolls out in late 2023 with a limited fleet of SAE Level 3¹ equipped EQS Sedans in California and Nevada called Drive Pilot: First Class.

In early 2024, Mercedes-Benz plans for additional customer deliveries of Drive Pilot-equipped MY2024 EQS Sedan and S‑Class models with participating authorised Mercedes-Benz dealers in California and Nevada.

As the first automotive manufacturer in the world to introduce this system in a standard-production vehicle to U.S. customers, Mercedes-Benz once again sets the benchmark for pioneering advancements in automated driving.

California and Nevada are the first states to approve the system and issued certification for use on major freeways. While the regulatory framework varies by state, Mercedes-Benz intends to further expand the availability of this revolutionary new technology to additional U.S. markets.

Drive Pilot

Drive Plot is an innovative technology that enables the vehicle to take over the dynamic driving task up to speeds of 40 mph on suitable freeway sections and during high traffic density. Once activated, the Drive Plot controls the speed and distance, effortlessly guiding the vehicle within its lane. During a conditionally automated journey, specific applications can be enabled on the vehicle’s integrated central display that is otherwise blocked while driving.

Safety remains central to this Mercedes-Benz innovation, which highly demands operational reliability. Drive Pilot builds on the vehicle sensing technology of the Driver Assistance Package and includes additional sensors Mercedes-Benz considers indispensable for safe, conditionally automated driving.

These include LiDAR, a camera in the rear window microphones for detecting emergency vehicles, and a road wetness sensor in the wheel well. A vehicle equipped with a Drive Pilot also has redundant steering and braking actuators and a redundant onboard electrical system to ensure manoeuvrability if one of these systems fails. These redundancies help to ensure a safe handover to the driver.

Drive Pilot will be installed on select EQS and S-Class models and activated via the U.S. Mercedes me connect store starting at $2,500 (additional offer options will be announced later). Given the advanced nature of the technology, this activation protocol ensures that customers are informed of the system’s capabilities at the time of Level 3 activation.

Due to the continued advancement of software integration, a subscription-based offering also gives customers the flexibility to choose options best suited to their needs. For example, if a customer moves to another state or area without access to Level 3-enabled freeways, they cannot renew the subscription.

High-Precision Positioning System

The location of a Mercedes-Benz vehicle equipped with a Drive Pilot is determined using a high‑precision positioning system that is much more powerful than conventional GPS systems. It is so accurate that it can determine the vehicle’s position within a range of inches. In addition to the anonymised data collected by LiDAR, camera, radar, and ultrasonic sensors, a digital HD map provides a three-dimensional image of the road and the surroundings.

This map includes information on road geometry, route characteristics, traffic signs and special traffic events (e.g. accidents, road work or construction zones). The map information is stored in backend data centres and updated constantly. Each vehicle also stores a copy of this map information on board, continually compares it with the backend data and updates the local dataset as required.

Automated Driving Marker Lights

Mercedes-Benz integrates social and ethical aspects in the development of automated driving. It feels it is essential to inform all drivers when the automated driving function is enabled via visual representation. As a result, Mercedes-Benz has developed extraordinary turquoise-coloured Automated Driving Marker Lights (based on SAE J3134 Recommended Practice) that would identify when Drive Pilot is engaged.

There is no national regulatory framework in the U.S. to implement this technology. The national road traffic and regulatory framework requires further adaptation to a common standard. Discussions with various state and federal agencies are ongoing, and Mercedes-Benz will further adapt the system architecture of Drive Pilot by defined standards as they evolve.

Legally Compliant on the Road

Mercedes-Benz requires new technology featured on public roadways to comply with all regulatory requirements. An interdisciplinary team of technical, legal, ethical, certification and safety experts worked together in the development process, translating traffic regulations into software. Mercedes-Benz complies with the NHTSA Standing General Order provisions governing ADS-equipped vehicles.