The automaker is instead forging ahead with its new point-to-point Level 2 system that rivals Tesla’s Full Self-Driving.
The automaker is instead forging ahead with its new point-to-point Level 2 system that rivals Tesla’s Full Self-Driving.
is transportation editor with 10+ years of experience who covers EVs, public transportation, and aviation. His work has appeared in The New York Daily News and City & State.
Mercedes-Benz is pausing the roll-out of Drive Pilot, an “eyes off” conditionally automated driving feature that was available in Europe and the US. As first reported by German publication Handelsblatt, the revised S-Class will not have the Level 3 system when it arrives at the end of this month.
Mercedes was one of the first automakers to offer a Level 3 driving system to its customers when it launched Drive Pilot with the electric EQS sedan and the gas-powered S-Class in the fall of 2023. At up to 40mph in traffic jam situations on highways, Drive Pilot provided hands-free, eyes-off driving that allows the driver to look away from the road at something else, like a game or a movie. It was big leap up from hands-free Level 2 systems — Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD) included — which still require the driver to be in full control, looking ahead and paying attention while the system is active.
But now Mercedes says it is temporarily scrapping the feature, citing middling demand and the high production costs of developing the technology. On top of that, the automaker is getting ready to roll out a new Level 2++ feature called Drive Pilot Assist that is rolling out this year. The system is similar to Tesla’s FSD in that it can be used in cities but requires the driver to stay attentive.
“We don’t want to offer a system which customer-wise doesn’t have much benefits and we know another system will come with the next two [or] three years with much more customer benefit,” said Mercedes spokesperson Tobias Mueller.
Mueller said that Drive Pilot’s customer appeal was limited by its operational design domain, or ODD, meaning the set of specific circumstances and criteria that are necessary for the system to work. The system was only legal to use in Germany in Europe, and on certain highways in California and Nevada in the US. Mueller said Mercedes may decide to merge Drive Pilot with Drive Pilot Assist at some point in the future, when the regulatory environment is more favorable.
There were other conditions too. Drive Pilot would only work when there was a vehicle in front of the car, on roads with readable markings and lines, and in clear weather and light conditions. Drive Pilot couldn’t be used at night or in the rain, and the headlights and wipers must be set to auto for it to work. It was also only available on freeways that have been mapped by Mercedes, which further limited its use.
That said, Mercedes clearly reveled in being the first to market with a Level 3 system. When it was first introduced in 2023, our tester was able to play Tetris and cue up YouTube videos on the center infotainment screen while the car was in motion. In 2024, Mercedes upped the allowed speed limit while using Drive Pilot to 95km/h (59mph) from 64km/h (40mph).
In addition to the high costs of developing the technology, Mercedes also ran into problems with some of its sensor suppliers. One of the sensors underpinning Drive Pilot was lidar, a laser sensor that is widely used in robotaxi fleets. But the company was forced to terminate its deal with Luminar in 2024 after the lidar manufacturer failed to meet the requirements. (Luminar recently filed for bankruptcy.)
Mueller said that sensor redundancy from lidar was necessary to compensate for the limitations of cameras, such as glare from the sun or low light conditions. High-definition maps were also required, he said, though advances in AI may reduce reliance on extremely detailed maps over time by allowing systems to infer more from real-world perception.
To be sure, the practicality of Level 3 automation has been widely debated. There have been studies that show that the handoff between an automated system and a human driver can be especially fraught. When people are disconnected from driving for a long period of time, they may overreact when suddenly taking control in an emergency situation. They may overcorrect steering, brake too hard, or be unable to respond correctly because they haven’t been paying attention. Those actions can create a domino effect that has the potential to be dangerous — and perhaps even fatal.
Most fully autonomous companies, like Waymo and Cruise, have said they think Level 3 is too dangerous, preferring to work exclusively on Level 4 technology that cuts the driver completely out of the equation.