Little more than a cruise control is left of the cocky promises.
Until recently, autonomous driving was touted by the auto industry as the greatest attraction of the near future, but humans are not that easy to replace.
The complex situations in road traffic, especially in the city, overwhelm even an armada of technology.
Holger Appel
Editor in business, responsible for "Technology and Engine".
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The head of development at Mercedes-Benz, Markus Schäfer, is a likable guy with no airs, which is why it carries weight when he speaks of the moon landing for a paradigm shift.
And when he admits that fully autonomous driving has turned out to be unexpectedly difficult.
The author of these lines drove a computer-controlled S-Class in California years ago, but the way from a programmed to a spontaneously chosen route is obviously a long one.
We also know of terrible accidents with Teslas, the manufacturer promises more than it can deliver.
However, Daimler has now succeeded in allowing customers of an S-Class or an electric EQS to take their hands off the wheel under certain circumstances. It should be ready in mid-2022. "As the world's first car company, Mercedes-Benz meets the requirements of UN-R157 for a level 3 system," it says. The Federal Motor Transport Authority gave the approval.
Translated, this means: On suitable sections of the motorway, the Mercedes drives up to 60 km / h alone in a traffic jam.
He stays on track and cannot overtake yet.
The special equipment is called "Drive Pilot" and consists of redundant systems for steering, brakes and electrical system as well as cameras, lidar sensors, microphones, moisture sensors and satellite navigation.
With them, the S-Class should recognize road conditions, the rear of the emergency vehicle, obstacles in front and the exact position so that the driver can meanwhile take care of e-mails or online shopping.
Or, just an idea, read a good newspaper.