As all the vehicles’ brake lights lit up in front of me I kept watching a clip of “Days of Thunder” on the 2024 Mercedes-Benz EQS’s dashboard. I wasn’t paying attention or even driving this car. The car was driving itself.
This isn’t some inappropriately named Auto Pilot system that requires your attention, rather it’s aptly named Drive Pilot by Mercedes-Benz. It’s a Level 3 self-driving system that can drive autonomously at up to 40 mph on some highways.
When the first batch of 2024 EQS and then S-Class sedans equipped with Drive Pilot arrive stateside at the end of the year they’ll be the first U.S. consumers can purchase with a Level 3 hands-free driver-assist system. The first two markets will be California and Nevada, as they are the only two states where this technology has been made legal.
Here’s what I learned about Drive Pilot after spending an afternoon getting a massage, watching a movie, playing video games, and surfing the Internet while the EQS drove itself in Los Angeles traffic on Interstate 10.
Mercedes-Benz Drive Pilot
What is Drive Pilot and what does it do?
Drive Pilot is a hands-free system that does not require the driver’s attention when engaged, but a driver must be ready to take over should the system want to hand back control. The driver can’t take a nap or close their eyes, can’t recline their seat, and must have their head turned toward the road because how else would you be ready to take control?
But watching a movie on the touchscreen’s YouTube app, surfing the web via the built-in browser, or even playing video games that are built in are all kosher. The driver could also read their emails or texts on their phones, except U.S. laws make this illegal. Mercedes-Benz said that ticket would be on you.
The system is designed to be used while slogging through traffic. While for now it works at up to 40 mph, Mercedes plans to increase the speed limit to 55 mph by the end of 2024. The system won’t work in rain, snow, or any form of inclement weather, nor will it work at dusk, dawn, or at night.
The system will not change lanes, requires a vehicle can be seen in front of the Drive Pilot-equipped car as a “lead vehicle,” won’t work in construction zones, and will return control to the driver if it sees or hears an emergency vehicle approaching with its lights and/or siren on.
Impressively, it is designed to accommodate and recognize lane splitting by motorcycles since this is both legal and accepted in California.
Mercedes-Benz Drive Pilot
The system utilizes the vast array of safety equipment standard in the EQS and S-Class, which includes long-range radar, a surround-view camera system, ultrasonic parking sensors, radar units at all four corners of the vehicle, and an infrared camera system to watch the driver’s face. Drive Pilot-equipped cars gain a high-definition GPS sensor and twin antenna array, a new stereo camera system, a lidar array in the front grille, another rear-facing wide-angle camera, and a road moisture and acoustics sensor to detect rain. Mercedes takes things a step further in the name of safety and adds a redundant braking system, a redundant steering system, two ECUs for the steering system, and redundant wheel rotation sensors.
Like GM’s Level 2 hands-free driver-assist system dubbed Super Cruise, Drive Pilot also utilizes HD lidar map data, in this instance provided by Here Technologies. Mercedes said all freeways in California and Nevada that meet Drive Pilot’s requirements are mapped, but wouldn’t disclose how many miles of map data that equates to.
Mercedes-Benz Drive Pilot
Drive Pilot is simple to use
Once on the highway and in traffic going less than 40 mph white lights on the steering wheel at the 10 and 2 o’clock positions acknowledge the system is ready to take over. Tap a silver button below either light and the system will engage. Once engaged, the white lights turn teal, a light strip on the steering column above the wheel hub goes teal, the gauge cluster changes graphics to display what’s going on, and even the climate control indicators turn teal. The latter is because the occupants can change the climate control’s temperature but not the fan speed or air flow. The vehicle takes control of that system as well to prevent any of the windows from fogging should it be a chilly day.
At this point, the system is fully in control, but the driver can change the pre-set following distance via the adaptive cruise control button on the left side of the steering wheel.
Mercedes-Benz Drive Pilot
If the system doesn’t believe the driver is ready to take over, whether it’s because it sees their head is turned toward the back of the vehicle, can’t see their eyes, or doesn’t seem to think there’s someone in the driver’s seat, it’ll ding and request the driver tap the OK button on the left side of the steering wheel.
Should the driver fail to respond, the system will begin a kick-down sequence that will attempt to once again get the driver’s attention with a chime. After 10 seconds with no response the vehicle will tighten the seat belt, and should they still not respond the car will slow down to a stop, put on the hazard lights, and call an emergency Mercedes-Benz call center. The operator will answer in the vehicle’s chosen language and if necessary call local emergency services. The vehicle will also unlock itself to ensure responders can access the occupants. The vehicle will not pull off the road or exit the lane regardless of which lane it is in.
Mercedes-Benz Drive Pilot
Notably, Mercedes-Benz requires watching a video that clearly outlines the system, how it works, the use-case scenarios, and operating parameters before Drive Pilot will work the first time. The video can be played via the vehicle’s infotainment system, the MercedesMe mobile app, or the web.
Mercedes-Benz Drive Pilot
Mercedes-Benz Drive Pilot
Watch for vehicles with teal lights
Initially, other drivers on the road, including local law enforcement, will have no easy way to tell if an EQS or S-Class is using Drive Pilot. If someone peered inside the cabin and saw the teal lights on the steering wheel that would be a give away, but that seems hard to do at 35 mph in traffic. Drivers of these vehicles might simply look as if they aren’t paying attention to what they’re doing.
But in the future vehicles equipped with Drive Pilot, and other vehicles with Level 3 driver-assist systems, may be easy to spot when the systems are engaged. The SAE designed the J13134 standard that outlines a vehicle driving with a Level 3 system engaged can use teal lights around the entire outside of the vehicle to indicate the autonomous system is active.
Mercedes-Benz showed journalists at its demonstration drive a prototype EQS with these teal lights, but the initial batch of cars will not have them and they can’t be offered as a retrofit at a later date. The teal light standard is still pending regulatory approval, which could take years. But, Mercedes said an exemption could be applied as a stopgap measure to get these lights on the road so other drivers can easily tell when a vehicle is being operated autonomously.
The color teal was chosen because it’s currently not used in any country by emergency services. While America uses red, blue, and white flashing lights, other countries such as Vietnam use green flashing lights for their law enforcement vehicles.
Mercedes-Benz Drive Pilot
Mercedes-Benz is liable
Mercedes-Benz is assuming legal liability should anything go wrong while Drive Pilot is engaged. There is some fine print, though. The driver must use the system as defined by Mercedes, and that means right down to ensuring the tires have enough tread depth and the right air pressure to be safe for typical driving conditions.
Mercedes said in the event of an accident liability will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Personal injury and liability could fall on Mercedes-Benz should the system be at fault, but if the driver was in any way operating outside the rules, and or hadn’t performed their due diligence, Mercedes-Benz will not accept fault.
Mercedes-Benz Drive Pilot
Drive Pilot works as advertised
In my afternoon of testing Drive Pilot the system didn’t falter once. It remained centered in the lane nearly the entire time. The only times it shifted in the lane were when it detected a motorcycle approaching due to lane splitting. That’s just smart.
I wore my polarized sunglasses the entire time. At times, I would turn my head to look at a Mercedes-Benz engineer in the rear seat as we discussed the brilliant piece of filmmaking that is “Days of Thunder.” The system recognized I wasn’t looking forward and prompted me to confirm I was ready to take over.
Mercedes-Benz Drive Pilot
I also played a built-in video game called Shuffle Puck on the touchscreen with the Mercedes engineer seated in the front passenger seat. When I asked where Tetris went, a game I was able to play on an EQS 450+ in 2022 while charging, the engineer noted it was gone due to a licensing issue.
Mercedes-Benz Drive Pilot
How much does Drive Pilot cost?
When Drive Pilot-equipped EQS and S-Class models arrive at select Mercedes-Benz dealers later this year the hardware will be a no-cost option. Initially, the system will carry a $2,500 annual subscription, but the automaker plans to announce new pricing and plan structures in the coming months for more use cases. The vehicles equipped with the system will be available for lease or purchase, but Mercedes-Benz won’t disclose how many EQS and S-Class models will be equipped with Drive Pilot.
Should any Drive Pilot-equipped vehicle leave California or Nevada or be resold outside these states the system won’t work. It’s essentially geofenced by the map data. However, Mercedes-Benz said as regulatory approval comes for other states, the map data can be upgraded via over-the-air updates.
Mercedes-Benz Drive Pilot
Drive Pilot previews the future
Back in 2017, I said Cadillac’s Super Cruise provided a glimpse into the self-driving future. Six years later I’ve experienced the next step toward that future.
Watching a movie on a vehicle’s touchscreen while getting a massage was the stuff of dreams when I was a kid. Now it’ll be reality in the coming months here in the U.S.
Mercedes paid for travel and lodging for Motor Authority to bring you this firsthand report.