Germany clears Mercedes-Benz's hands-free drive system (updated)

Koenig & Bauer AG

09/12/2021 12:25

(Adds KBA, background)
    BERLIN, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Germany's car watchdog has cleared
Mercedes-Benz's semi-autonomous driving system, paving the way
for the Daimler AG  DAIGn.DE  subsidiary to begin offering its
Drive Pilot system internationally.
    The highly automated system allows the driver to focus on
other activities while a car equipped with the technology is in
heavy traffic or on congested highways, Mercedes-Benz said in a
statement on Thursday.
    Germany's KBA authority approved the system based on
technical requirements laid out in United Nations regulations.
    "The KBA is setting national, European and international
standards in road safety on the road to autonomous driving,"
said the authority's president, Richard Damm, in a statement.
    Beyond the U.N. regulation on technical requirements,
countries also have to pass legislation clarifying where and how
such systems can be used, as well as issues of liability. 
    "With this milestone, we are once again proving our
pioneering work in automated driving and also initiating a
radical paradigm shift," said Markus Schaefer, Daimler chief
technology officer. 
    As soon as legislation in China and the United States is in
place, Mercedes-Benz will offer the system in those markets,
Schaefer added.
    Germany's approval means Mercedes-Benz can offer the S-Class
with Drive Pilot to customers in Germany in the first half of
2022.
    Such Level 3 automated systems have been allowed in Germany
since 2017. According to Mercedes-Benz, there are over 13,100
kilometres (8,140 miles) of motorway suitable for the Drive
Pilot system in Germany.  
    The KBA approved the system for driving speeds of up to 60
kilometres per hour (37 miles per hour). It has not decided
whether to clear it for speeds of up to 130 kph, or a
lane-change assistant that would automate overtaking another
car. 

 (Reporting by Ilona Wissenbach; Writing by Miranda Murray 
Editing by Maria Sheahan and Mark Potter)
 ((Miranda.Murray@thomsonreuters.com;))