Bosch, Mercedes launch commercial automated-valet parking service

Bosch and Mercedes have received commercial approval to introduce automated valet parking in Germany.

The autonomous driving system will operate at Stuttgart Airport’s P6 garage, where it will park – and return – cars without any input from a human driver.

The service is the world’s first highly automated driverless Level 4 parking function – as defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers – to be officially approved for commercial use, and it is set to be launched soon, with variants of the S-Class and EQS equipped with Mercedes’ Intelligent Park Pilot feature the first to benefit.

Mercedes and Bosch have showcased the tech previously, notably earlier this year at the Intercontinental Los Angeles Downtown Hotel in California. It works via the Mercedes Me app. Drivers simply book a space in advance and then leave their vehicle in the P6 garage’s drop-off zone. The system then ascertains if the route to the space is clear.

Assuming there are no obstacles en route, the driver is notified that the car will be parked and that they can leave the garage. A similar process occurs on the driver’s return to the car park. They request the return of their Mercedes via their smartphone, and it maneuvers its way back to the designated pick-up area.

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