Mercedes-Benz is Showing Off Self-Driving Vehicle Technology in the new S-Class

The new “virtual chauffer” technology is the beginning of the automaker’s effort to spearhead autonomous-vehicle innovations.
By: Mercedes-Benz of Hoffman Estates
 
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. - June 5, 2013 - PRLog -- Mercedes-Benz has long packed its vehicles full of the latest automotive technology, and that’s part of what’s drawn so many Naperville area drivers toward Mercedes-Benz of Hoffman Estates (http://www.mercedeshoffman.com/index.htm). Unsurprisingly, Mercedes-Benz is at it again, having recently unveiled an S-Class model in Hamburg, Germany that makes use self-driving technology.

While the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class (http://www.mercedeshoffman.com/2014-mercedes-benz-s-class.htm) model shown off with so-called “virtual chauffer” technology can’t drive itself entirely, it represents several important steps in that direction. It can, for instance, steer itself in city traffic. Under the proper conditions, it’s also capable of remaining in its lane at speeds in excess of 120 mph on the highway. Additionally, it can brake automatically when faced with obstacles, park itself, and even detect when the driver is dangerously fatigued.

According to Mercedes-Benz, it’s much like a plane’s autopilot system — it can perform a variety of routine tasks, but must do so under human supervision. This is the case not only due to the current limitations of the technology, but also due to legal restrictions on autonomous vehicles.

Fully autonomous cars may not be too far off, though, with Google pursuing an aggressive three-to-five-year timeline to have the technology road-ready. Of course, there are obstacles to this. Robert Hartwig, Insurance Information Institute President, has said that it will likely be 15 to 20 years before self-driving cars are able to be legally driven on the highway, even if the technology is sufficiently advanced before then. The obstacles involved include laws at the state and federal level, as well as regulatory standards from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Regardless of how far off self-driving vehicles are, though, drivers will be able to enjoy some significant assistance courtesy of the technology in new Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The technology in the new S-Class is just the start of forays into this field by Mercedes-Benz.

Drivers in the Naperville area who wish to learn more about the “virtual chauffer” technology in the new S-Class, or who want to take a test drive of any model in the Mercedes-Benz lineup, can do just that at Mercedes-Benz of Hoffman Estates. Their dealership is located at 1000 West Golf Road (http://www.mercedeshoffman.com/dealership/directions.htm) in Hoffman Estates, IL.
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Source:Mercedes-Benz of Hoffman Estates
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Tags:2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class, 2014 Mercedes-Benz Models, Luxury Vehicles
Industry:Automotive
Location:Hoffman Estates - Illinois - United States
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