An executive saloon that overtakes other vehicles automatically is to be released by Mercedes next month.
The new E-Class comes with “active lane-change assist”, which is triggered when the driver holds the indicator for more than two seconds. The car’s stereo camera, which can judge distance, and radar systems then scan the road to define a “safety zone”. The system checks whether this safety zone is clear and, if so, steers the car into the overtaking lane. The manoeuvre can be cancelled if the driver grabs the wheel or pushes the brake pedal.
Mercedes said that the technology would not initially be activated on cars sold in Britain because the law did not yet allow vehicles to overtake on their own. “The technology is already inside the vehicle, it is just dormant for the moment,” a spokesman for the carmaker said. “We are hoping that the law [will] be changed in Britain in the first half of this year.”
In Germany the E-Class is permitted to overtake on some autobahns at speeds of up to 111mph. The new model will include a feature to follow a car at speeds of up to 130mph. The car brakes automatically if it spots a dangerous tailback ahead or traffic crossing a junction.
It can also be programmed to brake if it exceeds a certain speed.
The technology will only allow autonomous driving in short bursts, after which the car requires the driver to put their hands back on the steering wheel.If the driver has their hands off the wheel for longer than the car believes is safe it will flash a warning.
When these warnings are ignored the car will automatically slow to a standstill and switch on its hazard lights.
Several car manufacturers are introducing semi-autonomous features to their vehicles before they become completely driverless.
Last October Tesla, which makes electric cars, introduced autopilot technology that enables its Model S and Model X vehicles to change lane without any intervention from the driver. In January the cars’ software was updated so that they could switch themselves on, roll out of the garage and wait in front of their owner’s front door with the tap of a button on a smartphone app.