On Monday, the Mercedes-Benz Group unveiled its intention to launch a cutting-edge driver assistance system in the U.S. market by the end of this year. This system is designed to facilitate autonomous driving on urban roads, albeit under the constant supervision of the driver. It encompasses the entire navigation journey, from parking lots to the final destination, and includes capabilities like navigating intersections, executing turns, and adhering to traffic signals.

This development positions Mercedes-Benz in direct rivalry with Tesla, which is currently the sole automaker in the U.S. providing similar autonomous driving features. Mercedes-Benz's innovative system is built upon NVIDIA DRIVE AV's comprehensive AI architecture. It incorporates a dual-stack safety design that seamlessly blends an end-to-end AI-driven stack with a conventional parallel stack, the latter being rooted in the NVIDIA Halos safety system. This integration bolsters safety through redundant mechanisms, ensuring a fail-safe operation.

Initially implemented in the all-new CLA model, this technology is earmarked for expansion to other vehicle platforms as well. This strategic move underscores Mercedes-Benz's ambition to go head-to-head with Tesla in the realm of intelligent driving, setting the stage for an exciting competition in the automotive industry.