Beijing authorities approve Mercedes’ fully automated driving tests
Mercedes-Benz has received the authorisation together with Chinese company WeRide. It is accompanied by a test permit for automated driving according to SAE level 4 in certain zones of the Chinese capital. The German carmaker wants to test the hardware and software of future automated driving systems for private vehicles on-site. At the end of 2023, Mercedes-Benz was among the first automakers to receive approval to test highly automated Level 3 driving systems in Beijing.
SAE Level 4 stands for fully automated driving and describes the second-highest degree of automation. In defined scenarios and environments, the vehicle must be able to perform driving tasks in accordance with this classification without the driver having to be ready to take over.
The project investigates environmental recognition with multiple sensors at high levels of automation and intends to verify the driving system under various conditions. Two specially equipped S-Classes are being used as test vehicles for the Level 4 systems. They are fitted with a sensor arrangement specially developed for the project, including LiDAR, radar sensors, and cameras.
We offer more than 40 driver assistance systems, including enhanced Level 2 features, and are the first carmaker with a Level 3 system in the market.,” said Markus Schäfer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes‑Benz Group AG, Chief Technology Officer, Development & Procurement. “With the new approval for testing Level 4 technology in the Beijing area, for later use in privately owned vehicles worldwide, Mercedes‑Benz leaps forward on the way to autonomous driving.”
In the German version of the press release, Schäfer also mentions that Mercedes wants to use the knowledge gained from the tests in private vehicles worldwide.
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