The 1972 Mercedes-Benz Experimental Safety Vehicle (ESF)

Mercedes-Benz Experimental Safety Vehicle ESF 13 from 1972. Detailed view of the interior through the passenger door with self-fastening three-point safety belts. (Photo index number in the Mercedes-Benz Classic Archive: C7291)

Mercedes-Benz Experimental Safety Vehicle ESF 13 from 1972. Detailed view of the engine compartment and the additional deformation space in front of it. (Photo index number in the Mercedes-Benz Classic Archive: C7290)

Stuttgart. The number 13 was a real lucky number for vehicle safety 50 years ago: Mercedes-Benz presented the Experimental Safety Vehicle, ESF 13 for short, at the “Transpo 72” trade fair in Washington D.C. on 31 May 1972. It was ahead of its time with solutions such as the anti-lock brake system ABS, airbags for all passengers, a headlamp system with halogen light and also parallel wipers for the rear window.

The ESF 13 was part of a comprehensive programme of Mercedes-Benz safety development in the 1970s, which saw the creation of more than 30 such vehicle safety innovators. From this unique history, the Mercedes-Benz Museum is showing the ESF 22 from 1973, which is on display in the Legend Room 5: Visionaries – Safety and Environment, 1960 to 1982. Mercedes-Benz has also continued the ESF programme in the recent past: most recently, the ESF 2009 and ESF 2019 premiered in their respective calendar years.

Today, vehicle safety is once again making revolutionary progress. The brand with the star is once again a pioneer in the development of new solutions for the future. This is because part of Mercedes-Benz’s transformation towards sustainable mobility with alternative drives, digitalisation and connected and automated driving includes appropriate safety concepts. These range from innovative solutions for active and passive safety to high-voltage safety concepts for electric vehicles. The experts are also conducting research into possible accident scenarios in future mixed traffic with automated cars. One thing connects past, present and future: the motivation to develop the best possible safety systems for personal mobility.

Public premiere at “Transpo 72”

The “Transpo 72”, an international trade fair for mobility, was held in the capital of the United States of America from 27 May to 4 June 1972. The German research vehicle for improving vehicle safety was a highlight of the “3rd International Safety Vehicle Conference” (3rd International ESF Conference) incorporated into the event from 30 May to 2 June 1972.

A public exhibition of twelve ESFs from European, Japanese and US manufacturers accompanied the safety conference. This show gave around one million visitors from all over the world “a striking glimpse into the future of safer driving and vehicle safety”, as the 1972 conference report puts it. The report also underlines the claim that the highly focused development of the ESF for vehicle safety would bring “a ‘quantum jump’ over the customary year-by-year, step-by-step evolution in the auto industry”.

Innovation carrier based on the “Stroke-Eight” and SL

The ESF 13 was a further development of the ESF 05, which Mercedes-Benz presented at the 2nd International ESF Conference in Sindelfingen on 26 October 1971. Once again, a Mercedes-Benz 250 “Stroke-Eight” (W 114) served as the basis, and the engineers also used parts from the 350 SL sports car (R 107) for the ESF 13. Even visually, the somewhat futuristic-looking Experimental Safety Vehicle already stood out clearly from the successful upper mid-range saloon. Technically, the differences were even more obvious as the list of active and passive safety solutions integrated in the ESF 13 was long. All in all, the solutions for condition, operation and perception safety in the ESF 13 reflect the state of the art in Daimler-Benz safety research in 1972.

In addition to ABS, the halogen headlamp system, the wash-wipe systems for the headlamps and windscreen and also the parallel wiper for the rear window, the engineers presented numerous other solutions. To further improve passive safety for vehicle occupants and also pedestrians, various components were clad with foamed components or were compliant. There were three-point safety belts with belt force limiters on the front seats that fastened automatically when the door was closed. The safety steering wheel with impact absorber was supplemented by driver and front passenger airbags, as well as airbags for the rear passengers. In the rear, there were also three-point safety belts with belt force limiters and inertia reels. While the driver and front passenger seats had head restraints, this task was taken over in the rear by a new type of safety net. The ESF 13 thus saw the premiere of many technologies that later found their way into series production. For example, the ABS anti-lock brake system became standard in the S-Class of the 116 series in 1978, and the driver’s airbag with belt tensioner for the front passenger followed in the S-Class of the 126 series in 1981.

Profile: The Mercedes-Benz ESF 13

• Restraint systems and other details as for the ESF 05 
  • Designed for impact speeds of up to 80 km/h
  • Five 3-point belts, each equipped with three force limiters, self-fastening belts in the front
  • Driver and front passenger airbags, with a supplementary airbag in the backrest of each front seat designed to protect rear passengers in the outer seats
  • V6 test engine to gain deformation space at the front
  • Impact areas in the interior padded with polyurethane foam, especially doors, pillars and roof frame
  • Power windows instead of rotary crank handles in the doors
  • Lamp wiper, headlamp range control, rear window parallel wiper
  • Side marker lights, tail lights with standstill relay and control device
  • Laminated glass front and rear windows, bonded
  • Pedals with rounded lower part
  • Brake system with ABS anti-lock brake system
• Overall length 5,235 millimetres (550 millimetres more than the standard series vehicle)
• Front-end extension including hydraulic impact absorber: 420 millimetres
• Bumpers arranged so that they are accessible from underneath
• Kerb weight: 2,100 kilogrammes (705 kilogrammes more than the standard series vehicle)

Ed’s 1952 Hettrick Pedal Wagon

As a kid I vaguely recall having had a first pedal car, but only now at the age of 74  it has become clear what that vehicle actually was.  It was a 1952 Hettrick Pedal Wagon, introduced in 1948 and one of the first velocipede tricycles of the style seen in this photo.  Most in this countrywere purchased from the Sears Roebuck catalogue and I suspect my parents ordered one to be picked up at the small local Sears store in Hinton, West Virginia.  

How do I know? Recently I came into some 8mm home movies that my late father had taken.  After taking those films to a gentleman in this area who transfers old home movies to DVD we discovered a short few seconds of me, myself, and I riding a Hetrick Petal Wagon up and down the sidewalk outside our home. 

Indeed, it is a strange feeling seeing one's self as a little boy vigorously peddling in a home movie what was known as a "pedal wagon." 

More photos and background at the website below.

https://onlinebicyclemuseum.co.uk/1952-hettrick-pedalwagon/

Highways from the Past: The Reichsautobahnen 1933-1945 (Trailer)

It was wonderful when traffic was light.  But as anyone who has taken the Autobahnen recently, the swarms of cars take away much of the joy of being behind the wheel. Early morning or late night driving is the way to go if you want to enjoy the road and the scenery to the fullest.

Autobahn 1939 - Direction München

A wonderful short film of a trip in the direction of Munich in 1939. The images convey the beauty of the environment surrounding the autobahn and the simple joy of driving. Peace! Hardly the case of driving the autobahns today!

115 Years Ago: Fritz Erle wins the third Herkomer Competition with Benz 50 hp

Third Herkomer Competition 115 years ago from 3 to 13 June 1907. The eventual overall winner Fritz Erle (start number 19) with Benz 50 hp during the long-distance drive Dresden–Eisenach–Mannheim–Lindau–Munich–Augsburg–Frankfurt am Main. (Photo index number in the Mercedes-Benz Classic Archive: 23681)

Fritz Erle wins the third Herkomer Competition with Benz 50 hp

• Long-distance drive with three classifications boosts enthusiasm for the then still young automobile
• Named after artist Hubert von Herkomer
• Daily practicality and reliability are in the foreground

Reliable, fast and beautiful: Fritz Erle from Mannheim wins the third and final Herkomer Competition 115 years ago, from 3 to 13 June 1907, with Edgar Ladenburg’s Benz 50 hp (7.4-litre four-cylinder engine, 37 kW/50 hp). This series of long-distance drives is initiated by Landsberg artist Professor Hubert von Herkomer: as an enthusiastic motorist, he offers a challenge trophy worth 10,000 marks for a competition for touring cars with four seats, wings, lights, rain cover and luggage compartment. There are three sub-classifications: a touring race with the six stages Dresden–Eisenach–Mannheim–Lindau–Munich–Augsburg–Frankfurt am Main, two speed tests and a beauty contest. Public interest in the Herkomer Competition is strong. As a result, the passion for the motor car, then still a quite recent development, grows across Germany and Europe.

65 Years Ago:Paul O’Shea’s first victory with the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLS

Paul O’Shea becomes American sports car champion 65 years ago in 1957 with the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLS based on the 300 SL Roadster (W 198). Before that, the racing driver wins the championship in 1955 and 1956 with a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Coupé (“Gullwing”). (Photo index number in the Mercedes-Benz Classic Archive: 2001DIG172)

O’Shea’s first victory with the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLS

• Perfect triple in the American Sports Car Championship
• Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster (W 198)
• 430 kilograms lighter than the production version

Paul O’Shea is already a two-time American sports car champion with Mercedes-Benz when he competes for the first time in the new 300 SLS (“Super Light Sport”) on 2 June 1957 in Fort Worth, Texas. He promptly wins this début, and by the end of the season he has secured his third championship in a row. It is also the third title for Mercedes-Benz. In 1955 and 1956, O’Shea becomes champion of the popular racing series organised by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) on permanent racetracks and airfields with the 300 SL Coupé (“Gullwing”). The basis for the open-top competition car of 1957 was the 300 SL Roadster presented the same year. Compared with the standard version, the output of the SLS increases from 158 kW (215 hp) to 173 kW (235 hp), and the weight drops significantly from 1,330 kilograms to 900 kilograms.

Sixty Years Ago: Year of rallying success for Eugen Böhringer and Mercedes-Benz starts in Greece -- May 23-26, 1962

Eugen Böhringer (right) and Peter Lang with their Mercedes-Benz 220 SE rally car (W 111) after winning the 10th International Acropolis Rally 60 years ago from 23 to 27 May 1962. Eugen Böhringer becomes the 1962 European Rally Champion. (Photo index number in the Mercedes-Benz Classic Archive: U7979)

Year of rallying success for Eugen Böhringer and Mercedes-Benz starts in Greece

• Victory at the 10th International Acropolis Rally with a Mercedes-Benz 220 SE
• The rally driver born 100 years ago becomes European champion in 1962
• Successful on “Tail Fin” saloons and “Pagoda” SL

This is the beginning of the title of European Rally Champion 1962: Eugen Böhringer with his co-driver Peter Lang wins the 10th International Acropolis Rally 60 years ago in the near-production Mercedes-Benz 220 SE rally car (W 111). The competition is held in Greece from 23 to 27 May 1962. 1962 is the most successful season in Böhringer’s career, who was born 100 years ago on 22 January 1922. The chef and hotelier starts rallying as a works driver for Mercedes-Benz in 1960 and becomes European rally vice-champion as early as in 1961. In 1962, the year he wins the championship, Böhringer also wins the Rally Poland and probably the toughest of all rallies, the Liège–Sofia–Liège marathon. In addition, there are second places at the legendary Monte Carlo Rally and the Rally Germany. Böhringer ends his motorsport career in 1965.

90 Years Ago: Mercedes-Benz SSLK Sensational streamline victory in the Avus race

Mercedes-Benz SSKL streamlined racing car. Manfred von Brauchitsch wins the International Avus Race in Berlin with this vehicle 90 years ago on 22 May 1932. Authentic reconstruction from 2019 by Mercedes-Benz Classic. Exterior shot from front right at 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed. (Photo index number in the Mercedes-Benz Classic Archive: D607970)

Sensational streamline victory in the Avus race

• Manfred von Brauchitsch wins in the aerodynamically optimised Mercedes-Benz SSKL.
• Leading the way for racing car development in the Silver Arrow era
• Painstaking reconstruction by Mercedes-Benz Classic in 2019

What a triumph 90 years ago: Manfred von Brauchitsch wins the International Avus Race on 22 May 1932 in an aerodynamically optimised Mercedes-Benz SSKL against strong competition. Reinhard Freiherr von Koenig-Fachsenfeld develops the innovative streamlined body. The crowd initially scoffs at the unusual shape and calls it “cucumber”. After von Brauchitsch’s sensational victory in front of around 250,000 spectators, the car is celebrated all the more. In his live broadcast, radio reporter Paul Laven coins the term “Silver Arrow” for the racing car with its unpainted body, which is a real game-changer for racing car design. Three years ago, Mercedes-Benz Classic painstakingly reconstructed the unique specimen from 1932. The streamlined racing car makes its renewed driving début again at the 2019 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

Mercedes-Benz Battery Breakthrough

 Mercedes-Benz takes another major step in building the world’s most desirable electric cars. The inventor of the automobile today announced that it will work with Sila, a next-generation battery materials company, to incorporate Sila’s silicon anode chemistry in batteries which are optionally available for the first time in the upcoming electric Mercedes-Benz G-Class. This will add another innovative cell chemistry to the Mercedes-Benz battery portfolio.

The innovative high-silicon anode material will increase the energy density of batteries without compromising safety or other performance parameters. Compared to today’s commercially available cells with a comparable format, Sila’s technology enables a 20-40% increase in energy density reaching more than 800 Wh/l at cell level. This major development enables Mercedes-Benz to store much more energy in the same space, thus increasing range of its future vehicles by a significant amount.

The advanced silicon anode materials will be manufactured using 100% renewable energy in Sila’s new Washington state facility, making Mercedes-Benz the factory’s first publicly announced automotive customer. Both companies are targeting mid-decade for a range-extended-version of the electric G-Class to be equipped with the new battery technology option.

Mercedes-Benz invested in Sila in 2019 as part of the company’s research and development of advanced batteries for the automaker's future electric vehicles. The supply agreement announced today is the natural next step for the partnership and marks another important milestone in Mercedes-Benz’ ambition to become the leading manufacturer of electric vehicles.

“Sila has come a long way since we established our strategic partnership in 2019.They have been proving their ability to not only deliver scientific innovation at the highest level, but also their ability to manufacture high quality material. We’re glad that in Sila we have a leading partner who will help us power our future generation of electric luxury vehicles with their highly innovative anode technology. Delivering such a high energy density is a true game changer and allows us to think in completely new directions when developing future electric cars. Our partnership with Sila is another essential step on our way to build the most desirable electric luxury cars,” said Markus Schäfer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Chief Technology Officer, responsible for Development and Procurement.

“We’re focused on delivering materials that are cost-efficient and capable of delivering on the promise of electric vehicles, working to ensure longer range energy, improved charge times, and lowering battery cost per kWh. To realize the potential of next-generation materials, scale up is a pivotal part of execution and we’ve been building towards automotive quality standards and scale since our start. With our new plant in Washington, we’re ensuring we can meet the requirements of our auto partners like Mercedes-Benz as they transition to a fully electric future,” said Gene Berdichevsky, Co-founder and CEO, Sila.

Sila works to enhance all aspects of battery performance, produce quality-controlled silicon anode materials at scale, and support implementation to ensure customers achieve their goals and safety requirements for shipping products. After ten years of research and development and 55,000 iterations, the Sila team was the first to industrialize and make commercially available a next generation lithium-ion chemistry with dramatically higher energy density. This expertise results in a technology that will be able to power future Mercedes-Benz electric vehicles.

About Mercedes-Benz Group

Mercedes-Benz Group AG is one of the world's most successful automotive companies. With Mercedes-Benz AG, the Group is one of the leading global suppliers of premium and luxury cars and vans. Mercedes-Benz Mobility AG offers financing, leasing, car subscription and car rental, fleet management, digital services for charging and payment, insurance brokerage, as well as innovative mobility services. The company founders, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, made history by inventing the automobile in 1886. As a pioneer of automotive engineering, Mercedes-Benz sees shaping the future of mobility in a safe and sustainable way as both a motivation and obligation. The company's focus therefore remains on innovative and green technologies as well as on safe and superior vehicles that both captivate and inspire. Mercedes-Benz continues to invest systematically in the development of efficient powertrains and sets the course for an all-electric future: The brand with the three-pointed star pursues the goal to go all electric, where market conditions allow. Shifting from electric-first to electric-only, the world’s pre-eminent luxury car company is accelerating toward an emissions-free and software-driven future. The company's efforts are also focused on the intelligent connectivity of its vehicles, autonomous driving and new mobility concepts as Mercedes-Benz regards it as its aspiration and obligation to live up to its responsibility to society and the environment.

About Sila

Founded in 2011, Sila is a next generation battery materials company accelerating energy transformation for a more sustainable future. Sila is industrializing breakthrough science— utilizing their advanced silicon anode materials— to catalyze a new energy storage era that propels radical product innovation and alleviates the world’s dependence on fossil fuels. Through deep technical ambition, persistence, and purpose, the Sila team is delivering innovative technology to market today, moving us one step closer to the electrification of everything. Major investors include 8VC, Bessemer Venture Partners, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Coatue, Mercedes-Benz, In-Q-Tel, Matrix Partners, Sutter Hill Ventures, and funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.

The. Wisdom of Hunter Thompson in Times lIke These

From Ed -- Neighbor Ron mentions Hunter S. Thompson. An Air Force veteran, journalist, motorcycle rider, loved to drive fast, always fueled (alcohol, drugs) but he seemed to speak to our current moment in time.  My two favorite quotes from Thompson are these:

“There are times, however, and this is one of them when even being right feels wrong. What do you say, for instance, about a generation that has been taught that rain is poison and sex is death? If making love might be fatal and if a cool spring breeze on any summer afternoon can turn a crystal blue lake into a puddle of black poison right in front of your eyes, there is not much left except TV and relentless masturbation. It’s a strange world. Some people get rich and others eat shit and die.”

 

"I have always needed Fuel. I am a serious consumer. On some nights I still believe that a car with the gas needle on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio.”

Seen at a Greene County Ohio Cruise-In, May 13, 2022

 Now hereissome autonomous technology on the street. If that is your only hobby....

A 1957 Drive-In Come-On!

From Ed -- 
 

Oftentimes back in the 1950s drive-in theaters used various gimmicks and promotions to vye for business.  This is a 1957 advertisement for the Crab Orchard Drive-in Theater that was located around 25 miles from where my grandfather's drive-in theater.  Note that this theater was "giving away" a 1950 "bathtub Nash."  Given that the seats folded down to make a bed one can imagine many teen-aged boys hoped they would win the Nash.

The Society of Automotive Historians Richard Scharchburg Student Paper Award, 2022

In order to encourage research and writing effort among university students in the area of automotive history, the Society confers its annual award for the best student paper in the auto history field.  The award is named for Richard Scharchburg, the late Professor of History at Kettering University, eminent automotive historian, and past vice president of the Society of Automotive Historians. Beginning in 2021, the SAH is offering separate awards for best student paper in both the undergraduate and graduate categories. Persons submitting papers must be enrolled at educational institutions (upper-class undergraduate or graduate level) at the time of submission.  This competition is international in scope, but papers must be in the English language.  Papers already published or scheduled for publication will not be accepted.

Manuscripts should not exceed 10,000 words, and should be double-spaced.  An abstract is requested.  Judging criteria include clear statement of purpose and testable hypothesis, accuracy and thoroughness of research, originality of the research, documentation, quality and extent of bibliographic resources, and writing style.  Diagrams, graphs, or photographs may be included.  Submissions are to be electronic, in Word 1997-2003 format or pdf files only, to the e-mail address below.

Possible subjects include but are not limited to historical aspects of automobile companies and their leaders, regulation of the auto industry, financial and economic aspects of the industry, the social effects of the automobile, highway development, environmental matters, and automotive marketing, design, engineering and safety.

A cover letter should be included stating the student’s address, school, program, advisor, and stage in studies.  The student should indicate how the paper submitted will relate to his or her professional future. All papers submitted will be acknowledged.

Upon recommendation of the judges, the winning paper will be considered for publication in the Society’s Automotive History Review. The award consists of a plaque and a cash prize of $500.00.

Nominations should be emailed to sahawards@gmail.com by June 15, 2022. Upon notice that the nomination is accepted, materials should be forwarded to the Scharchburg Student Paper Award Panel Chair, John Mohr

Questions regarding the Scharchburg Student Paper Award should be directed to John Mohr.

For further information and a list of the recipients of the Richard P. Scharchburg Student Paper Award, click HERE  

Contact Info: 

Dr. John Mohr, Chair, Student Awards Committee

Department of History

The University of Alabama in Huntsville                    

301 Sparkman Drive NW               

Huntsville, AL 35899

e-mail: jem0048@uah.edu

Tel: 256-824-2571

Mercedes-Benz DRIVE PILOT to be Launched in Germany, May 17, 2022

Drive Pilot Activated

Stuttgart.  Mercedes-Benz today released details of the sales launch of DRIVE PILOT in Germany. The system for conditionally automated driving (SAE Level 3[1]) can be ordered from May 17, 2022 as an optional extra for the S-Class for 5,000 Euro and for the EQS for 7,430 Euro (Driver Assistance Package Plus: 2,430 Euro and DRIVE PILOT: 5,000 Euro) excl. VAT. This makes Mercedes-Benz the first car manufacturer in the world with an international valid certification for conditional automated driving, to offer such a system as an option ex-works for vehicles from series production. DRIVE PILOT enables customers to hand the driving task over to the system under certain conditions in heavy traffic or congestion situations on suitable motorway sections in Germany up to a speed of 60 km/h. For customers, this means the ultimate driving experience. They can relax or work and win back valuable time.

After activating DRIVE PILOT, the system controls the speed and distance, and guides the vehicle within its lane. The route profile, events occurring on the route and traffic signs are all analysed and taken into consideration. DRIVE PILOT also reacts to unexpected traffic situations and handles them independently, e.g. by means of evasive manoeuvres within the lane or by using braking manoeuvres. Mercedes-Benz's system for conditionally automated driving (SAE-Level 3) builds on the vehicle sensing technology of the Driving Assistance Package and includes additional sensors that the manufacturer considers indispensable for safe operation. These mainly include radar, LiDAR and cameras, but ultrasound and moisture sensors also provide valuable data. In parallel to the successful launch of DRIVE PILOT in Germany, Mercedes-Benz aims to obtain regulatory series approval for the two US states of California and Nevada by the end of the year, provided the legal situation permits the system operation.

"Mercedes-Benz is the first manufacturer to put a Level 3 system with international valid certification into series production. As a first step, we are offering this world-leading technology in Germany in the S-Class and the EQS. At the same time, we also want to receive certification in the U.S. by the end of the year. Responsible handling of future technologies such as conditional automated driving is the key to acceptance among customers and in society. With DRIVE PILOT, we have developed an innovative technology that, thanks to redundancies with many sensors, enables safe operation and gives the valuable asset 'time' back to the customer”, says Britta Seeger, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes‑Benz Group AG, responsible for Marketing & Sales.

Redundancy for safe conditionally automated driving

Conditionally automated vehicle operation according to SAE-Level 3 requires a system design that must enable any malfunctions - both simple and more serious - to be managed safely. The redundant architecture includes the brake system, the steering, the power supply as well as parts of the sensor technology such as those for environment awareness and driving dynamics calculation. The battery, steering motor, wheel speed sensors and the various algorithms used by the system to calculate the data also have a redundant design. In addition, parts of the sensor technology are also functionally redundant, as they complement each other with their different physical concepts (e.g. optical, ultrasonic, radio waves), thereby enabling safe transfer. Mercedes-Benz is thus setting entirely new standards of safety in automated driving.

In the unlikely event of a malfunction, the vehicle remains manoeuvrable due to its redundant system design, allowing DRIVE PILOT to perform a safe handover to the driver. If the driver does not comply with the takeover request within the maximum allotted time of ten seconds, for example due to a medical emergency, DRIVE PILOT promptly initiates an emergency stop that is safe both for the vehicle and the following traffic. For this purpose, the Intelligent Drive Controller continuously calculates the optimum trajectory for coming to a safe stop. Meanwhile, the manoeuvrability of DRIVE PILOT is designed to keep the vehicle within its lane and avoid collisions with other road users and objects on the road.

Precise positioning for operating DRIVE PILOT

The exact location of a Mercedes equipped with DRIVE PILOT is determined using a high-precision positioning system that is much more powerful than conventional GPS systems. In addition to the anonymised data collected by LiDAR, camera, radar and ultrasound sensors, a digital HD map provides a three-dimensional image of the road and the surroundings with information on road geometry, route characteristics, traffic signs and special traffic events (e.g. accidents or road works). This high-precision map differs from maps for navigation devices by, among other things, its higher accuracy in the centimetre rather than metre range and its detailed junction and route model. The map data is stored in backend data centres and updated constantly. Each vehicle also stores an image of this map information on board, constantly compares it with the backend data and updates the local dataset as required. All of this enables stable and accurate positioning through a representation of the surroundings that is independent of factors such as shadows or dirty sensors.

DRIVE PILOT: Legally compliant on the road

Mercedes-Benz is ensuring that the new technology is being put on the road in a legally compliant manner. Engineers, lawyers, compliance managers, data protection officers and ethics experts have all worked together in the development process. One basis for automated driving is provided by additional control mechanisms, for example: For safety-relevant functions such as pedestrian detection, the Mercedes-Benz’ engineers deliberately do not use algorithms, for example through self-learning approaches. The focus is mores on what is known as "supervised learning" - that means Mercedes-Benz defines and control what the artificial intelligence is allowed to learn. Before the AI software is used on the roads, extensive validation testing is carried out to ensure that the AI works as desired in real traffic conditions. In the case of pedestrian detection, AI helps the system to identify objects and situations on and next to the road quickly and safely. The car manufacturer’s ethical requirement is that the detection process is non-discriminatory. This means that the vehicle's various sensors permanently monitor the road and the roadside, to always detect people correctly, regardless of their clothing, body size, posture or other characteristics.

Legal framework: Germany is a pioneer in automated driving

With the opening up of the Road Traffic Act (StVG) for Level 3 systems in 2017, Germany was the first country to create a legal basis for the intended use of these systems. The technical approval regulation with which such a system can be certified did not come into force until the beginning of 2021. Since then, it can be implemented in Europe - an opportunity that Mercedes-Benz was quick, and the first manufacturer, to seize. Mercedes-Benz is the first automotive company in the world to meet the demanding legal requirements of UN Regulation No. 157 for a Level 3 system.

In detail, this results in requirements for the vehicle and duties for the driver: In conditional automated driving mode, the vehicle must master the driving task safely and comply with all traffic regulations. The driver still has duties in public road traffic, in particular to comply with other traffic regulations. To this end, the driver must remain ready to take over and resume control when requested by DRIVE PILOT or due to obvious circumstances.

Mercedes-Benz is a pioneer in automated driving and safety technologies

With numerous technical innovations, Mercedes-Benz has constantly set the benchmark in automotive safety ever since we invented the motor car in 1886. Safety is one of the brand's core values. For example, Mercedes‑Benz has been offering advanced driver assistance systems (SAE-Level 2) in its vehicles for years. They can make life much easier in many everyday situations and assist with speed and distance control, steering or lane changes, for example. Mercedes-Benz was the world's first car manufacturer to receive internationally valid system approval for conditionally automated driving in December 2021. And when it comes to parking, the brand goes one step further - with the pre-installation of the INTELLIGENT PARK PILOT, which will enable fully automated, driverless parking to SAE-Level 4 in the future.

[1] SAE Level 3: the automated driving function takes over certain driving tasks. However, a driver is still required. The driver must be ready to take control of the vehicle at all times when prompted to intervene by the vehicle.

A Ford Dealer’s Mother’s Day Sale, 1956!

So when was the last time that you saw a car dealer hold a Mother's Day sale?  Probably never, but my late Uncle Daymon at Garten Motors Ford & Mercury in Hinton, West Virginia always honored mothers by offering "special deals" to mothers. 

See the advertisement (May 1956) in the middle of the attached.  Uncle Daymon noted that "these cars need a mother" and then has on offer a 1952 Kaiser Manhattan for $495.  At the bottom of the ad my uncle notes that mothers might also like one of the trucks that are on offer.  Anything to make the sale!

Wonderful man, Uncle Daymon, but as a kid I never saw him without a cigarette in his hand -- a chain smoker -- three pack a day man -- who died young of congestive heart failure.    -- Ed