Mercedes is Already Testing Autonomous Vehicles in California

Mercedes S 500 Intelligent Drive (Credit: Mercedes)

In case you’ve been living in a cave for the past ten years, autonomous vehicle technology is a hot area in the automotive industry. One automaker that seems to be on the forefront of technology is Mercedes-Benz, which is why it is no surprise to hear that it has already been testing out its autonomous technology in California.

The Golden State recently passed a measure that allows certain organizations to start testing out autonomous vehicle technologies on public roads, because the hellish Los Angeles traffic is the perfect test of how computers handle the urge to exhibit extreme road rage.

While there are other automakers that are testing their self-driving vehicles on Californian roadways, Mercedes has done one better. The German car company is performing tests at Concord Naval Weapons Station, which is humongous and the largest test bed site in the entire country. The facility allows engineers to study how the vehicles behave in specific road situations, while also controlling any associated risks.

Mercedes has already been testing autonomous vehicles in Germany. Those tests were highlighted when an S 500 Intelligent Drive was used to drive autonomously between Mannheim and Pforzheim, retracing the historic steps of Bertha Benz.

This news might be enough to keep certain individuals out of California altogether. It might also scare off some residents. By seeing just how bad the traffic is in the southern portion of the state, it’s easy to see why the government could be interested in any technologies that could get traffic flowing smoothly.