Mercedes-Benz Gains Level 4 Autonomous Driving Test License

Mercedes-Benz becomes the first foreign automaker to gain approval to test Level 4 autonomous driving technology in prototype vehicles on selected roads in Beijing.

The approval, granted by the Chinese government, is described by Mercedes-Benz as a “crucial step” in advancing its existing Drive Pilot system to a level where it possesses full control from start to finish of any given journey where the conditions and autonomous regulatory framework allow.

Level 4 is considered fully autonomous driving, although the vehicle retains a traditional cockpit, and the driver can request control at any time.

If a Level 4 system fails or cannot proceed, it is required to pull the vehicle over and bring it to a complete stop under its own control.

The approval granted by China allows Mercedes-Benz to test prototype versions of its most advanced Drive Pilot system to date both on urban roads and highways in Beijing, where it operates an R&D center on the site of its existing production facilities.

China is moving faster than other regions of the world in advancing autonomous driving. The technology is more highly valued and sought after by China’s car buyers than it is in Europe and North America.

The Level 4 prototypes to be used by Mercedes-Benz feature lidar-based sensors, together with radar-, ultrasonic- and camera-based sensors, the German automaker says.  

No official details have been provided on when Level 4 autonomous driving technology will be introduced on production models, though the prototypes to be used for testing by Mercedes-Benz in China are based on the current seventh-generation S-Class, the brand’s flagship and most expensive model line.

Mercedes-Benz offers about 40 driver-assistance systems with either Level 2 or Level 3 autonomous driving capability on its more upmarket models.

WardsAuto confirms confirm the Level 3 Drive Pilot system introduced to selected markets in 2022 will be updated later this year where regulations permit, with the current 37-mph (60-km/h) top speed increased to 59 mph (95 km/h).

Sources involved in the development of the autonomous driving system told WardsAuto the 59-mph top speed is the highest achievable with the existing fifth-generation software package.

As well as being made available in the S-Class, the revised Drive Pilot system is also planned to be offered to EQS customers via an Over-The-Air (OTA) upgrade.

Future steps planned for Mercedes-Benz’s Level 3 Drive Pilot system include a further increase in top speed to 68 mph (110 km/h), though WardsAuto has been told it will only be achievable with a new sixth-generation software package that will debut in planned facelifted S-Class and EQS models.  

In Level 3 autonomous driving, the vehicle can operate without the aid of a driver. However, the driver must be on alert and ready to take back control when the traffic conditions and/or circumstances change.Mercedes-Benz became the first automaker to begin selling a Level 3 autonomous driving system directly to customers in the U.S. following the granting of regulatory approval by the state of Nevada in 2023.