Mercedes-Benz Drive Pilot was recently certified for use in Nevada, making it the first Level 3 advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) that’s road-legal in the US. Initially approved in Germany last year, California is next on Benz's target markets. While Level 2 comprises a few “hands off” systems, Mercedes says its Level 3 ADAS is “eyes off,” meaning the driver can look away from the road, though still remain ready to take over at any time.
Level 2 ADAS – popularized by Tesla Autopilot – is now an option in many new cars, but Level 3 is harder to find, appearing only in the S Class Sedan and EQS in Europe and the Honda Legend in Japan. Mercedes-Benz's Drive Pilot will arrive in the US in the second half of 2023 with pricing still up in the air; however, it costs €5,000 on the S-Class and €7,000 on the EQS in Germany ($5,320 and $7,448, respectively, at current exchange rates). This geofenced Level 3 system works at up to 40 miles per hour on select highways, and Mercedes-Benz will assume liability for incidents that arise from a fault in Drive Pilot.
