Mercedes latest tech is ahead of Tesla in one key area

German automaker Mercedes-Benz (MBGAF) has edged Elon Musk's Tesla (TSLA) in technology at the core of the latter's technological ethos.

The three-pointed superstar used to be the first automaker to give Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Level three, hands-off, eyes-off self-driving in a technology often also often known as Drive Pilot. As of June eight, 2023, or not it truly is an exceptional distance approved for sale, lease, and use in two U.S. states: Nevada and California.

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At the time, Mercedes said that the Drive Pilot may best be utilized on certain freeway sections at speeds lower than forty miles per hour; which makes it suitable for giving your hands, feet, and sanity a rest on those notorious traffic jams on the freeways in Los Angeles.

On the choice hand, Mercedes engineers in Germany have found a method to make an already groundbreaking technology even better.

Mercedes Benz [hands-free] autobahn crusing

Mercedes-Benz announced on Sept. 23 that its Drive Pilot system may be getting a significant upgrade in Germany.

Starting in early 2025, Mercedes vehicles equipped with its Drive Pilot system will get slightly a speed upgrade. Rather than conforming to a speed of up to 60k km/h (~37 miles per hour), the souped-up Drive Pilot system will have the choice to drive occupants up to a speed of Ninety five km/h (~60 miles per hour) on Germany's Autobahn in Mercedes comfort.

Mercedes-Benz Chief Technology Officer Markus Schäfer said that the increased speed will allow drivers of its vehicles to "use even more of their time more efficiently." The extent of this, consistent with Mercedes, can consist of "secondary activities" like "working, surfing the cyber web, TV and even streaming a movie" while the Drive Pilot drives the automobile.

Mercedes says the new update will no longer require any new external equipment comparable to LiDAR, radar, or camera gear; or not it truly is an exceptional distance purely a software update to have the choice to easily take place over the air a la Tesla, pending re-certification by Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority which is anticipated by the end of this year.

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Once the regulators certify the new update, current Drive Pilot owners can upgrade without cost, or eligible vehicle owners without Drive Pilot should purchase it for a fee of €5,950 (~$6,617).

Mercedes says or not it truly is an exceptional distance no longer done unlocking the entire extent of what its self reliant technology can do. In Germany, the speed limit for self reliant vehicles is 100 thirty km/h (~eighty one mph), and Mercedes seeks to push its vehicles to that speed by 2030. Additionally, or not it truly is an exceptional distance already trying out Level four autonomy on Chinese roads — the identical SAE autonomy level as Google's Waymo (GOOGL) robotaxis.

But while Waymo's robotaxis is authorized to decide on up passengers and roam town streets and freeways of U.S. cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix while posted speed limits, the Mercedes Drive Pilot system is designed to be used by Mercedes owners solely on highways — specifically on the proper-hand lane of the Autobahn with another vehicle in front of it.

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Additionally, in the interest of safety, Mercedes is letting other drivers on the road know that the motive force in the back of the wheel is using this feature. Beginning in the 2026 model year, Mercedes S-Class and EQS sedans equipped with Drive Pilot will roll out with turquoise lights in Nevada and California to signal to other drivers that the feature is in use.

"The inclusion of marker lights is poised to substantially enhance public acceptance of automated driving and make a contribution to road safety, as the lights clearly visualize the automated driving system's status on the outside," Mercedes-Benz said in a December 2023 statement. "This also permits traffic law enforcement and law enforcement officials to identify the system's status and determine whether drivers are permitted to have interaction in secondary activities the entire way through the conditionally automated journey."

In a statement to TheStreet, a Mercedes-Benz USA spokesperson said:

"Currently, the stepped forward speed functionalities of DRIVE PILOT, in order that you may in truth be in a position to be to be had in Germany, will no longer be extended to the U.S. market attributable to differences in roadways, conditions, and traffic. Enthusiastic about safety, we are committed to adapting our technology to satisfy the unique requirements of diverse markets as regulations and prerequisites permit."

Mercedes-Benz Group AG, which trades on OTC markets as MBGAF, is up 1.Fifty 9% nowadays, trading at $sixty two.35 at the time of writing.

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