Mercedes-Benz Granted First International Approval For Level 4 Autonomous Driving Tests

Mercedes-Benz recently declared that it was the first foreign carmaker to be granted permission to test Level 4 (L4) autonomous driving on Beijing's highways and cities. For the record, Mercedes-Benz has been researching autonomous driving since 1986 and was the first to commercially deploy Level 3 (L3) autonomous driving in Europe and the US.
According to Mercedes-Benz, the goal of this project is to study multi-sensor perception and system performance under extreme conditions for advanced autonomous driving systems. It is one of Mercedes-Benz's technology research initiatives in China.

The German carmaker claims that most driving tasks can be completed by its L4 test vehicles autonomously, without the need for driver intervention. To improve safety, the test vehicles are outfitted with multiple redundant systems and a wide range of sensors.
The cars are also capable of performing manoeuvres like parking, U-turns, roundabouts, and unprotected left turns with ease in crowded cities. Autonomous vehicles on expressways are capable of autonomous lane changes when the car ahead of them slows down, as well as autonomous toll station passes. In dire circumstances, the cars will find a safe spot to stop by employing a minimal risk strategy.
China has gradually opened its urban and highway roads for autonomous vehicle testing. Beijing's high-level autonomous driving demonstration zone, which opened in September 2020, serves as a hub for over 20 autonomous driving companies and automakers, including Baidu, Pony, and Didi. This zone has over 800 autonomous vehicles, ranging from delivery and shuttle vehicles to patrol cars.

Other cities, including Hangzhou and Shenzhen, have significantly expanded their testing areas. Hangzhou now provides 3,474 km² across eight urban districts for autonomous vehicle testing, while Shenzhen has 944 km of open road for autonomous driving.
While Mercedes-Benz makes progress in China, other global players such as Tesla are still waiting for approval for their Full Self-Driving (FSD) systems in the region. Elon Musk expressed optimism that FSD would be approved in China and Europe this year, with Tesla's Robotaxi service expected to launch by 2025. Despite Musk's early predictions of Level 5 autonomy by 2021, Tesla has classified its current FSD option as Level 2 to deal with regulatory and insurance issues.