TMTPost -- Mercedes-Benz is ramping up deployment of its advanced autonomous driving technology in China, the German automobile heavyweight’s largest single market and biggest production site.

Credit：Mercedes-Benz

The Beijing municipal government has granted approval for Level 4 self-driving capabilities on Beijing's highways and urban roads, Mercedes-Benz said. The approval suggests Mercedes becomes the first international auto brand permitted to test advanced autonomous driving in Beijing. Some of the moves to be tested include parking, reversing and turning left in busy traffic without driver intervention, Mercedes said.

Experts have defined five levels in the evolution of autonomous driving. The levels 0 to 5 are defined according to their relative extent of automation. Level 0, “No Automation”, is where the driver controls the car without any support from a driver assistance system. The Level 5 autonomous car can drive without any human interaction, while Level 4 cars are capable of driving fully autonomously in proper settings without the assistance or intervention of a human driver, though the driver can still take control if needed.

According to Mercedes-Benz, with its Level 4 level of autonomous driving, the test car can safely and easily complete moves such as parking, U-turns, entering and exiting roundabouts, and unprotected left turns on busy urban roads. On highways,  the test car can automatically change lanes if the vehicle in front slows down, and can pass through toll stations without human oversight. Under extreme conditions, the Level 4 vehicle can drive under a strategy to reduce risks as much as possible and find a safe location to stop on its own.

“China, as a fertile ground for innovation in the global automotive industry, boasts a number of outstanding talents and partners, providing an excellent opportunity for Mercedes-Benz to conduct research of the cutting-edge technology ,” Oliver Löcher, the Senior Executive Vice President of Mercedes-Benz (China) Investment Co., Ltd. “The approval for road tests of L4 autonomous driving in Beijing will help us further accelerate the development of autonomous driving technology in China.”

Chinese regulation now allows advanced driver assistance system at Level 2 automation, which means that a car can perform steering, acceleration and lane changes, but a human needs to monitor the driving at all times and keep their hands on the steering wheel.The latest approval marks Mercedes’ further progress in rollout autonomous driving in China. The Stuttgart-based carmaker last year won Beijing's approval for Level 3 testing, considered highly automated driving in which a driver might be required to take control in some situations.

Mercedes has made considerable strides in autonomous driving technology, known as Drive Pilot. Drive Pilot allows the car to take control of driving functions under certain conditions, freeing the driver to do other things, such as answering emails. The autonomous driving system uses radar, lidar, cameras, ultrasound and moisture sensors to provide data on road conditions to vehicle computers. It controls speed, braking and lane position.

In December 2021, Mercedes-Benz became the first automotive company in the world to meet the demanding legal requirements of the international UN-R157 for a Level 3 system enabling conditionally automated driving. Mercedes-Benz is initially offering Drive Pilot in Germany, where 13,191 kilometers of motorway are approved for conditionally automated driving.

Drive Pilot has been available in Germany for S-Class and E-Class models since May 2022. Mercedes has also become the first automaker to receive corresponding approval in the U.S. states of California and Nevada. Drive Pilot will be available on the U.S. market as an optional extra for S Class and E Class models in model year 2024.