The S-Class from Mercedes-Benz becomes a robotaxi

The Stuttgart-based automotive group Mercedes-Benz has announced that it will offer future vehicles as autonomously driving taxis. The robotaxi service is set to launch in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Other locations are to follow later.

The robotaxis are S-Class vehicles, meaning the luxury sedan from Mercedes-Benz, which will drive highly automated, i.e., Level 4, as a shuttle. "With an S-Class robotaxi, we are raising the bar for automated mobility," said Jörg Burzer, who has been head of technology at Mercedes since the beginning of the month.

Mercedes is selling the vehicles. According to the automotive group, the fleet will be operated by the local company Lumo. After the test phase in Abu Dhabi, the S-Class robotaxis are to be used "at further locations and in other markets."

The vehicles are equipped for obstacle and environmental detection, including radar sensors and cameras. The control software comes from the Chinese company Momenta, with which Mercedes-Benz cooperates in China. In addition, the group has been working with US chip manufacturer Nvidia in the field of autonomous driving for years, according to its statements.

Mercedes tested Level 4 driving in Beijing

In 2018, Mercedes-Benz received approval for Level 4 test drives on public roads in the Chinese capital, Beijing. The Stuttgart-based group was one of the first manufacturers to offer a system for automated driving (Level 3) in series vehicles with the Drive Pilot. In this case, the driver no longer has to keep constant control of the vehicle but can also devote themselves to other activities. However, they must take over control again if necessary.

Initially, this was only valid up to a speed of 60 km/h. In 2022, the UN Economic Commission for Europe's World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (UNECE) also approved such systems up to 130 km/h. According to its statements, Mercedes aims to offer a Drive Pilot that reaches this speed "in the next five years."

The robotaxi business is growing: The market leader is currently Waymo, a subsidiary of the Google group Alphabet, which has been operating driverless taxis in several US cities for some time and plans to come to London in 2026. In addition, ride-sharing services Lyft and Uber also want to bring such vehicles to Germany. Uber is also cooperating with Momenta, and Lyft with the Chinese digital group Baidu.

(wpl)