Mercedes Steps Up Hands-Free Driving Speeds

Mercedes‑Benz is upping the cruising speed of its Level 3 autonomous driving suite to 59 mph (95 km/h) for both future and existing customers using vehicles fitted with its systems.

Currently, the Drive Pilot automated driving function can cruise hands-free on certain dedicated highways at up to 37 mph (60 km/h) but the automaker has ambitions to extend the speeds to 80 mph (129 km/h) by the end of the decade.

Subject to gaining certification for the speed increase by Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority, expected by the end of 2024, sales of the Drive Pilot suite as an optional extra will start at the beginning of 2025 at a cost of €5,950 ($6,641) including taxes. Current owners of vehicles fitted with the system will have their software upgraded over-the-air free of charge.

Beyond ongoing real-world tests on designated roads in Germany, the automaker has also received approval for testing the system in the U.S. states of California and Nevada and also in Beijing, China.

Markus Schäfer, Mercedes-Benz’s chief technology officer, says: “It will soon be possible to activate conditionally automated driving up to 95 km/h in flowing traffic under certain conditions on the German motorway. With this, our customers can use even more of their time more efficiently. Mercedes‑Benz is once again setting industry standards and steadily paving the way to autonomous driving.”