Mercedes-Benz has halted all efforts in developing and producing full-self driving for its passenger cars. The world-renowned car-maker will instead shift its focus on its line of long-haul trucks that should be rolled out with advanced driver-assist technology in the near future.
The news was announced by Ola Kallenius, Daimler chair and head of Mercedes-Benz cars. The exec related the company's plans to the media after the Geneva Motor Show was canceled due to coronavirus concerns.
According to Kallenius, the company's decision was driven mainly by priority. The technology will be deployed first in trucks where "the business case is most attractive first."
"We will focus on trucks first. It doesn't mean we are giving up the effort on passenger cars; we will continue investing in that," Kallenius told the press. "But we will deploy our resources in such a way where we can generate revenue at the earliest possible time."
However, this is not the end of fully autonomous driving for Mercedes-Benz passenger cars. Furthermore, the company's decision doesn't mean it would not push for the said technology but will prioritize its lineup of trucks first. Currently, its team of engineers is working to develop its advanced driver-assist program.
As with most companies, Mercedes-Benz is striving to develop strategies that would generate revenue the fastest. Kallenius said that its change of plans will allow the German automaker to distribute its resources properly and gain from it. While the exec has not fully disclosed the company's plans for its long-haul trucks, it's possible that sister companies will help with the initiative. Freightliner, for one, appears to be the perfect candidate.
While the news is a downer for those interested in purchasing a fully-automated Mercedes-Benz, the company's move is a smart one and will prove beneficial. If you think about it, huge trucks need the technology more due to their size and how frequently they use highways.
And yet, a full self-driving program isn't something that's easy to develop or deploy. It has been a controversial topic in recent years and even a company like Waymo, who has had its own autonomous fleet for a while, hasn't rolled out a system that consumers can fully use.
A huge multi-million company the likes of Mercedes-Benz has the resources to invest in this type of technology for sure, but only time will tell if its endeavors prove worthy. Currently, Tesla has a "Navigate on Autopilot" feature but only in freeways. The feature is disabled in city streets.
