road test licence vehicle
Daimler receives road test licence for its automated driving research vehicles (level 4) in Beijing, China. Credit: Daimler AG.

German car manufacturer Daimler has received a road test licence for highly automated driving research vehicles (level 4) in Beijing, China.

Following the approval, the company’s Mercedes-Benz test vehicles are all set to begin real road tests to further perfect the technology in the Chinese capital.

Daimler board of management member, who is also responsible for Greater China, Hubertus Troska said: “Autonomous driving is a key pillar of our global CASE strategy, and today’s announcement marks a major step forward for our innovation efforts here in China.

“We demonstrate our commitment to furthering the development of China’s automotive industry through continually expanding the scope of our local research and development.

“This expanded research into automated driving will provide a strong base for developing further automated driving technology that addresses the challenges posed by China’s unique traffic environment.”

“Inspired by China, innovating for China, we are dedicated to providing our customers here with technologies, products and services tailored to their needs.”

In order to qualify for the road test licence, Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz vehicles were equipped with additional technical applications from Baidu Apollo and were tested at the National Pilot Zone for Intelligent Mobility.

Test drivers also received rigorous automated driving training.

The German car maker has already received automated driving test licences in Germany and the US.

Daimler is also expanding its research and development (R&D) in the fields of automated driving and vehicle safety by collaborating with local partners.

Currently, Baidu and Daimler are engaged in research on safer solutions in automated driving for China through the open source Apollo autonomous driving platform.

Mercedes-Benz research and development China head Dr Hans Georg Engel said: “Backed by strong local partners, our R&D in China results in concrete innovations that allow us to achieve sustainable development today and into the future.

“This expanded research into automated driving will provide a strong base for developing further automated driving technology that addresses the challenges posed by China’s unique traffic environment, in order to further ensure that our technology and products offer the safety and convenience our customers expect.”