Mercedes begins sale of Drive Pilot automated driving system

Mercedes is to become the first German carmaker to start selling an automated driving system that can take complete control in gridlocked traffic on the motorway, the company announced on Friday.

The installation of the system will cost €5,000 ($5,277) plus VAT for the Mercedes S-Class, while for the electric model EQS, the cost rises to €7,400 plus VAT due to the need to book a driving assistance package.

Sales of the systems are due begin on May 17, with the first deliveries of vehicles equipped with the systems due in the summer, according to Mercedes.

Up to now, driver assistance systems such as Tesla's Autopilot, which can relieve the driver of various tasks such as keeping in lane or maintaining distance, have been used in new cars. However, the driver of the vehicle retains ultimate responsibility and must keep their hands on the wheel at all times.

Mercedes was the first car manufacturer in Germany to receive approval to operate a system that allows the driver to relinquish control in certain situations and to sit back and do nothing, though the driver must be ready to take back control from the system at any time.

The use of the system, called Drive Pilot, has its use restricted by legal regulations to very specific situations. For example, it only works on motorways, at speeds of up to 60 kilometres per hour and only as long as the distance to the vehicle in front is not too great.

If the system recognizes that the conditions are there, it can be activated by the driver. While Drive Pilot controls the car, the ultimate legal responsibility lies with Mercedes. The driver has up to 10 seconds to take back control when prompted to do so by the system.