Mercedes-Benz offers Drive Pilot in EQS and S-Class models as Europe's first approved self-driving cars

Mercedes-Benz has announced that from May 17th, customers in Germany will be able to buy Drive Pilot autonomous driving technology. The company claims that this makes it the first manufacturer with international approval for its conditional automated driving.

Drive Pilot will be available for the S-Class and EQS models, the first cars in Europe to have approved self-driving abilities. The Level 3 technology lets your car drive itself in certain conditions such as heavy traffic or motorway congestion.

The car will be able to drive at up to 60 mph (~100 kph), with Drive Pilot controlling the car's speed, distance from other vehicles and lane position. The car uses a digital map, radar, LiDAR, cameras, ultrasound and moisture sensors to gain information about your route and the road conditions.

This data is then used to perform manoeuvres such as braking and changing lanes. Drive Pilot can also detect faulty hardware and safely hand back control to the driver. While the initial pilot will run in Germany, Mercedes-Benz hopes to gain approval this year for further pilots in California and Nevada.

Drive Pilot will cost €5,000 (~US$4,284) for the S-Class and €7,430 (~US$6,366) for the EQS. The package for the EQS includes the Driver Assistance Package Plus, which is priced at €2,430 (~US$2,082).

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