The approval will allow Mercedes to begin testing its capabilities Level 4 autonomous driving on Beijing’s highways and urban roadsThis means the vehicle can perform all driving tasks on its own under certain conditions, while still providing the option of manual control.
The race is on and the competition is fierce
Intense competition in the Chinese auto market is forcing manufacturers to take action to gain an advantage over other competitors. One such action is to introduce vehicles with autonomous driving capabilities. Tesla is working to introduce advanced driver assistance technology to China, which it calls Full Self DrivingThe electric car pioneer has been granted permission to test in some areas in Shanghai, where it already did so last year. General Motors received approval to test autonomous Cadillacs.
Meanwhile, technology companies such as Waymo companies Alphabet and Baidu’s Apollo Goare developing robot taxis as the future of mobility, testing a driverless ride-hailing service on the streets of cities including San Francisco and Wuhan.
Level 4 automation is new on Chinese roads
Currently, Chinese regulations allow advanced driver assistance systems at automation level 2.which means the car can steer, accelerate and change lanes, but a human must monitor driving and keep their hands on the wheel at all times.
The fourth level of driving autonomy makes the driver a passenger, and his or her actions are limited only to starting the car. The vehicle is completely autonomous and does not need driver assistance to properly perform even complex maneuvers. According to a statement published on August 2 on the German carmaker’s official WeChat account, some of the movements Mercedes tested include parking, reversing and turning left in congested traffic without driver intervention.
