Mercedes-Benz is testing Level 4 cars in Beijing.

Autonomous driving Mercedes-Benz is testing Level 4 cars in Beijing

2024-08-14 From Thomas Günnel | Translated by AI 2 min Reading Time

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Mercedes is allowed to test cars at the SAE 4 autonomy level in Beijing. The city operates a designated area for this.

Mercedes-Benz is permitted to test autonomous cars at SAE Level 4 in Beijing.(Image: Mercedes-Benz) — Mercedes-Benz is permitted to test autonomous cars at SAE Level 4 in Beijing.
(Image: Mercedes-Benz)

Mercedes-Benz is allowed to test fully automated driving systems according to SAE-Level 4 in Beijing. Two S-class cars are on the road on designated inner-city streets and highways in the Chinese capital: equipped with a sensor arrangement developed for the project. It contains Lidar, radar sensors and cameras. The partner of the project is the Chinese company "WeRide". The start-up specializes in technology for automated driving and counts Bosch among its investors.

The developers want to see how the system behaves in daily situations: such as making left turns against traffic, driving through roundabouts, and turning and parking. The two cars can also automatically change lanes on highways and pass through toll stations autonomously.

In extreme situations, the vehicle carries out what is known as a minimal-risk maneuver. That is, it stops at a safe place. The electrical system, steering, and brakes are redundant. Mercedes-Benz intends to use corresponding assistance systems in private vehicles later.

Designated area for tests

Approximately four years ago, the city of Beijing established the "Beijing High-level Autonomous Driving Demonstration Area". In this area in the southeast of the city, companies are allowed to test autonomous driving functions. In March 2023, according to the Beijing Daily, 19 testing companies had settled, 578 networked vehicles had covered a total of 14.49 million kilometers. The companies settled include Baidu, Pony Ai, and Sense Time.

What does SAE Level 4 mean?

SAE Level 4 stands for fully automated driving. It describes the second highest degree of automation: In defined scenarios and environments, the vehicle can carry out driving tasks without the driver needing to be ready to take over.

China's government is promoting the technology for automated driving. It is intended to benefit domestic car manufacturers, like Xpeng. (Image:Xpeng)

By the end of 2023, Mercedes-Benz had received approval to test highly automated driving systems to SAE-Level 3 in Beijing. Since 2005, the automaker has been conducting research and development in China - and in the last five years, according to its own figures, has increased the corresponding investments in China by around 1.3 billion Euros. New R&D centers in Beijing and Shanghai were also established.

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Date: 08.12.2025

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