Coming to a highway near you, the latest self-driving car. The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has granted Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC a permit to deploy its autonomous driving system, DRIVE PILOT, on certain California highways. Mercedes-Benz is the fourth company to receive this permit and the first to be authorized to sell or lease vehicles equipped with an automated driving system to the public.
Under the permit, Mercedes-Benz’s DRIVE PILOT can operate on designated highways during daylight hours at speeds up to 40 miles per hour. However, it is not allowed to function on city or county streets, in construction zones, during heavy rain or fog, on flooded roads, or in adverse weather conditions that may affect its performance.
Before activating DRIVE PILOT in their vehicles, owners must watch a mandatory instructional video that explains how the system works and how to engage or disengage it.
Mercedes-Benz has been conducting autonomous vehicle testing with a safety driver in California since September 2014. This new deployment permit allows the company to commercially offer its DRIVE PILOT system to the public, expanding its availability on California highways in various areas, including the Bay Area, Central Valley, Los Angeles, Sacramento, and San Diego. The system is also approved for use on Interstate 15, connecting Southern California to Nevada.
For more information on deployment permits, visit the DMV website.
