Mercedes-Benz has announced that it will upgrade its self-driving cars to be able to travel on German autobahns at speeds of up to 95 km/h in hour under certain conditions. This is reported by Reuters.
The company hopes that after certification by the German Road Transport Authority, which will probably happen at the end of 2024, sales of the Drive Pilot system will start next year.
The system allows the car to drive autonomously when there is another vehicle in front of it and visibility conditions are good. This allows the driver not to keep his hands on the steering wheel for a long time. However, the driver must be ready to return to driving within seconds.
All Mercedes-Benz cars already equipped with this technology will receive a free upgrade that will increase the top speed from 60 km/h to the claimed 95 km/h.
To inform other drivers about the activation of the automatic mode, the company installed a turquoise light in the front of the car, which turns on when the system works. Mercedes-Benz hopes that this color will become standard for all autonomous cars, regardless of make and model.
The company also plans to subsequently increase the speed of autonomous driving, where the system can be used up to 130 km/h, but the exact timing of this step has not yet been determined.