Mercedes-Benz first to sell vehicles in California with hands-free, eyes-off automated driving
California regulators have granted Mercedes-Benz permission to sell or lease vehicles in the state that feature a conditional automated driving system, allowing hands-off and eyes-off operation on specific highways.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles revealed that it has issued an autonomous vehicle deployment permit for Mercedes-Benz’s DrivePilot technology.
As a result, drivers can engage in activities such as texting, watching videos or conversing with passengers while their attention is not focused on the road ahead nor holding onto the steering wheel.
According to the California DMV, Mercedes-Benz has become the fourth company to receive a permit for deploying autonomous vehicles in California.
It is also the first automaker authorized to sell or lease vehicles that have an automated driving system available for public use, unlike Waymo, Cruise, Motional and Zoox who are currently developing fully autonomous systems; however some of their principles may apply.
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