• News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
  • News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
Sign up Now (For Free)

Sign up for our newsletter and receive the latest automotive news in your inbox!

Invalid email address
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thanks for subscribing!
News
Read Now
  • All News
  • Automakers
  • Automobiles
  • Auto Shows
  • Business
  • EVs & Environment
  • Guides
  • Lawsuits/Legal
  • Regulatory
  • Ride-Sharing
  • Safety & Recalls
  • Technology
Recent
  • The Rearview Mirror: Triumph of the Bean Counters
  • VW Teases U.S. Version of ID.Buzz — and Here’s What We Know About the Electric Microbus
  • Make Sure You're Good to Go for the Holiday Weekend
  • Hyundai, LGES Building $4.3B EV Battery Plant in U.S.
  • New Vehicle Sales Set to Rise, Used Vehicle Sales Expected to Drop in May
  • Ford Teaming with Tesla to Make Charging Even Easier
  • Q&A: VinFast CEO Van Anh Nguyen Talks Tough Reviews, Tough Learning Curve, Bright Future
  • Stellantis Invests in new Lithium-Sulfur EV Battery Tech
  • The Safest Cars For Your Teenage Driver
  • Honda Teams with Aston Martin in Formula One Return
Editor’s Choice
    Reviews
    Read Now
    • All Reviews
      • Feeder
    • Classic Cars
    • Concept Cars
    • Convertibles
    • Coupes
    • Crossovers/CUVs
    • Diesel
    • Hot hatches
    • Hybrids
    • Luxury Vehicles
    • Minivans
    • Muscle Cars
    • Pickups
    • Sedans
    • Sports Cars
    • Super Cars
    • SUVs
    Recent Reviews
    • A Week With: 2023 Electrified GV70 AWD Prestige
    • A Week With: 2023 BMW XM
    • A Week With: 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLS 580 4Matic
    • First Drive: 2024 Audi Q8 e-Tron Prestige
    • First Drive: 2024 Volvo C40 Recharge Single Motor
    • A Week With: 2023 Ford Bronco Everglades Edition
    • First Drive: 2024 Kia Seltos
    • A Week With: 2023 Volvo V60 Cross Country B5 AWD
    • 2023 Kia Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige AWD
    • First Drive: 2023 VinFast VF 8 City Edition
    Editor’s Choice
      Guides
      Car Warranty
      • Endurance Warranty Reviews
      • BMW Extended Warranty
      • Extended Warranty For Cars Over 100k Miles
      • Extended Car Warranty Cost
      • Subaru Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Reviews
      • CarShield Cost
      • Aftermarket Car Warranty
      • CARCHEX Warranty Reviews
      • Reputable Extended Car Warranty Companies
      • Used Car Warranty Companies
      • Best Car Warranty
      • Is CarShield A Scam?
      • Mercedes Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Plans
      Insurance
      • How To Identify A Car Insurance Company
      • Geico Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • How Far Back Does A Car Insurance Company Look
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance For Used Cars
      • State Farm Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance From Progressive
      • Dollar A Day Insurance
      • Auto Insurance For SSI Recipients
      • Car Insurance Rates After A Suspended License
      • Auto Insurance For Salvage Vehicles
      • Average Cost of Dodge Ram 1500 Car Insurance
      • Car Insurance Florida
      • Full Coverage Auto Insurance
      • GrubHub Insurance
      • Amazon Delivery Auto Insurance
      Shipping
      • Car Shipping Companies
      • uShip Reviews
      • Auto Shipping From California To Hawaii
      • Montway Auto Transport Reviews
      • Cheap Car Shipping
      • Easy Auto Ship Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Miami
      • Auto Shipping To Alaska
      • Car Shipping Cost
      • Auto Shipping Hawaii
      • Auto Shipping Puerto Rico
      • Sherpa Auto Transport Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Atlanta
      • Auto Shipping Boston
      • Auto Shipping. Chicago
      About
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Terms of Use
      • Privacy Policy
      • Affiliate Disclosure
      • Sitemap
      TheDetroitBureau.com

      More than just “another” place to find news, reviews, spy shots, commentary, features, and guides about the auto industry. TheDetroitBureau doesn’t stop with the press releases or confuse a few lines of opinion with insightful, in-depth reporting.

      Contact Us

      Like what you see? Have some ideas for making The Detroit Bureau.com even better? Let us know, we’d love to hear your voice.

        Media
        Listen Now
        • Headlight News: All Episodes
        More from TheDetroitBureau
        • Guides
        • Latest News
        • Auto Reviews
        • Podcasts
        Headlight News

        TheDetroitBureau.com’s Headlight News offers a look at the past week’s top automotive news stories, as well as what’s coming up in the week ahead. Check out the week’s top story and our latest review…along with a dive into the past with this week in automotive history.

        home > news > Automakers > Mercedes-Benz Cleared to Offer Level 3 Autonomous Driving in 2022

        Mercedes-Benz Cleared to Offer Level 3 Autonomous Driving in 2022

        German regulators clear the technology for international use.

        Larry Printz
        Larry Printz , Assistant Managing Editor
        Dec. 09, 2021
        When emergency vehicles are detected, the system has the driver take over.

        Mercedes-Benz announced Thursday the German Federal Motor Transport Authority, or KBA, has approved the use of automaker’s Level 3 autonomous driving system.

        The KBA granted the approval based on the requirements of the United Nations UN-R157 technical regulations for autonomous driving. The move paves the way for Mercedes-Benz’s system, dubbed Drive Pilot, to be offered worldwide. 

        “We have now achieved a breakthrough: We are the first manufacturer to put conditionally automated driving into series production in Germany,” said Markus Schäfer, chief technology officer at Mercedes-Benz AG. “For the first time in 136 years of automotive history, the vehicle takes over the dynamic driving task under certain conditions.”

        Germany drivers getting first experience

        The controls for Driver Pilot are located in the steering wheel rim above the thumb recesses.

        Drive Pilot will be offered on the Mercedes-Benz S-Class in Europe in the first half of 2022. The system facilitates automated driving at speeds of up to 37 mph in heavy traffic. But don’t look for it in the U.S.; Level 3 systems are not yet legal to use on American roads. The same holds true in China. 

        In fact, the progression from Level 2 to Level 3 automation is so substantial, it requires national legislation in each country to permit it. Germany was the first country to approve the use of Level 3 systems, passing the Road Traffic Act in 2017, and there’s more than 8,140 miles of German roads where Drive Pilot can be employed.

        The difference between Levels 2 and 3

        Drive Pilot uses additional sensors, including grille-mounted lidar.

        Currently, the most advanced autonomous driving systems are Level 2, which supports the driver by allows taking over steering, acceleration, and braking. So, a driver’s feet may be off the pedals and they might not be steering, but constant supervision is required to take over. You are still actively driving the car. 

        Level 3 is known as conditional driving automation. It uses the car’s driver assistance systems and artificial intelligence to drive the car without your input in certain conditions. Unlike Level 2, driver supervision is not required. This means you can answer email or shop online while the car drives, but you can’t catch some shuteye. Drivers must be ready to take over when the system requests.

        How Drive Pilot works

        Drive Pilot works at speeds up to 37 mph on certain roads.

        Drive Pilot is based on Mercedes-Benz’s Driving Assistance Package, which includes radar-based cruise control with steering assist, blind spot assist, lane keeping assist, and rear automatic braking with pedestrian recognition. But Drive Pilot has additional sensors, microphones, lidar, and a camera in the rear window.

        The system also gathers information about road geometry, route profile, traffic signs and any alerts of accidents or construction from a digital map through a backend connection. The car’s position is monitored using satellite navigation matched to sensor data and a 3-D map. The system is programmed to bring the car safely to a stop if the driver is unable to take back control of the car. Drive Pilot also includes redundant steering, braking and electrical systems.

        Where other automakers stand

        Honda Legend with Honda Sensing Elite
        Honda launched Level 3 automated driving features in Japan in March.

        Despite what Daimler officials might think, they are not first to offer a Level 3 production car. That honor goes to Honda. In March 2021, the company announced Japanese government approval for Honda Sensing Elite with Traffic Jam Pilot, a Level 3 autonomous driving system available in the Japanese-market Honda Legend Hybrid EX. But Honda has built about 100 so far, and the are available for lease, not purchase.

        Other automakers are still offering advanced Level 2 systems, with Tesla’s Autopilot, and Cadillac’s Super Cruise being the most advanced. Other Level 2 systems include Ford’s BlueCruise, Nissan’s ProPilot Assist 2.0, and Hyundai’s Highway Driving Assist.

        How to Care for Your Car

        Cheap Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice

        Best Extended Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice
        Recently Published

        The Rearview Mirror: Triumph of the Bean Counters

        Yesterday
        VW tease for ID Buzz three row

        VW Teases U.S. Version of ID.Buzz — and Here’s What We Know About the Electric Microbus

        May 26, 2023

        Make Sure You’re Good to Go for the Holiday Weekend

        May 26, 2023

        Leave a Reply Cancel reply

        Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

        Share this article:
        © The Detroit Bureau 2023
        • Guides
        • Privacy Policy
        • Terms of Use
        • Affiliate Disclosure
        • Contact Us
        • Sitemap
        Follow Us: