Stuttgart – Mercedes-Benz is the first automotive company in the world to meet the demanding legal requirements of UN-R157 for a Level 3 system.
The German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) has granted system approval for this on the basis of the technical approval regulation UN-R157, thus paving the way for offering such a system internationally, provided that national legislation allows it.
Germany has taken a pioneering role in this with the opening of the Road Traffic Act (StVG) for Level 3 systems in 2017.
As a result, the first customers will be able to buy an S-Class with DRIVE PILOT the first half of 2022, enabling them to drive in conditionally automated mode at speeds of up to 60 km/h (37 mph) in heavy traffic or congested situations on suitable stretches of highway in Germany.
The special DRIVE PILOT equipment takes the strain off the driver and allows them to perform ancillary tasks on the central display such as online shopping or sending e-mails in their in-car office.
The system approval also applies to the EQS.