Mercedes-Benz and Chinese autonomous driving technology company Momenta have entered a new phase of their partnership in China, announced alongside the launch of the all-electric CLA. Their collaboration focuses on deploying advanced driving and parking systems specifically designed for China's dense urban environments.
The companies highlighted the "Urban Pilot" function, which uses end-to-end AI models trained on extensive real-world Chinese road data. This system handles complex scenarios like multi-lane junctions, narrow streets, roundabouts, and unexpected obstacles.
A jointly developed parking suite, planned for 2025, has reportedly achieved a 98% success rate and is 11 seconds faster on average than previous versions. A new "Tracked Reverse" feature allows vehicles to autonomously exit dead ends by retracing their path.
Looking ahead to 2026, the partners aim to upgrade both urban and highway pilot assistance using Momenta's advanced R6 reinforcement learning model. These technologies will be integrated into additional Mercedes-Benz electric vehicles, including a new GLC SUV, with mass production of a "Memory Parking" feature also planned.
The developments aim to widen the availability of intelligent-driving functions across Mercedes-Benz's electric vehicle lineup in China, with a continued focus on safety-led automated systems.