Mercedes-Benz’ automated valet parking and a Level 3 highway driving system appears to be headed for the U.S. as well.
If it seems like Europe gets all of the cool auto stuff, that’s because it’s kind of true. More wagons, more diesel powertrains, and in recent history, better safety technology. But that may be changing in the U.S., as Mercedes-Benz demonstrated in a series of technical demonstrations in Los Angeles last week.
The system only works at speeds of 40 mph and under, which is why we’re hunting for traffic instead of avoiding it, as Angelenos usually do. In Germany, it’s limited to 60 kmph by law, and though there are no such restrictions in the U.S. that’s where Mercedes says it’s comfortable starting out with the system, with the hope of eventually expanding it to work at highway speeds. Similar to GM’s Super Cruise and Ford’s Blue Cruise systems, it only works on mapped divided highways.
There are some conditions the driver has to meet to keep the car in its automated driving mode. You can’t climb in the backseat and if you try to scoot the seat back and lie down, a message pops up telling you that you must remain in reach of the pedals/wheels or the system will turn off. And the driver’s attention must remain fixed in what the vehicle considers “driver attention zones,” an area that includes the infotainment screen and most of the dashboard.
Pricing is not yet available for the additional features and equipment, but thankfully Mercedes indicated that the system won’t use a subscription model and only be a fixed up-front cost during vehicle purchase. Mercedes also said that as of now, it is the only legacy automaker to be testing this type of system in California or Nevada at the moment and is leading the way on regulatory approval.