Mercedes-Benz May Have Beaten BMW to the Level 3 Punch

BMW produced a big offer about the new Amount 3 autonomous driving aids in the newly unveiled 7 Series and i7 and for excellent reason. BMW was, at the time, the first automaker to really offer you a Level 3 procedure that was prepared for community use. Nevertheless, Mercedes-Benz just kind of pissed in BMW’s cornflakes by not only announcing its have Degree 3 procedure but basically placing it on sale to start with.

The BMW 7 Collection and i7 will go on sale this drop and will provide its Amount 3 system as an selection in some European marketplaces, such as Germany. Nevertheless, Mercedes-Benz’s own degree 3 technique, Drive Pilot, is now officially offered for sale on the S-Class and EQS luxurious sedans, essentially mimicking BMW’s choices.

Mercedes-Benz’s Push Pilot will work just about the exact same way as BMW’s individual method. It also makes use of a extensive-selection Lidar system, blended with radar sensors and cameras, to produce a 3D digital graphic of the car’s surroundings. Just like BMW’s program, Mercedes’ Generate Pilot only operates on highways, below 37 mph, with obviously marked traces, and beneath 40 levels Fahrenheit (the latter of which is to assure it’s not in use on icy roadways). On the other hand, when it is engaged, the driver is permitted real arms-off driving, without ever possessing to manually interact with the technique, so very long as the car continues to be in all those aforementioned parameters. Mercedes-Benz even gives some online games to be played with the major infotainment program, these as a pong-like activity.

This Drive Pilot procedure isn’t entirely new, Mercedes-Benz initial declared it late previous yr, but it officially heading on sale is a new improvement and a person that is confident to annoy the Bavarians, who mentioned their method would be initial. It’s still impressive that BMW is likely to offer a Level 3 process of its very own but it’s no extended going to be the to start with a single on sale and the truth that its major rival, Mercedes-Benz, is beating it to the punch is a little bit of a minimal-blow.

[Source: Motor Trend]