Mercedes targets year-end Germany rollout for urban assisted driving in race with rivals

BERLIN, May 22 (Reuters) - Mercedes-Benz said on Friday it plans to roll out its urban point-to-point assisted driving system in Germany from the end of this year, aiming to be among the first carmakers offering the technology in Europe.

The plans are part of a race to bring self-driving features to European city streets, with rivals BMW BMWG.DE and Tesla TSLA.O pursuing rollouts of similar technology in the region.

Mercedes' system is to be available in selected German cities from the end of 2026 before expanding nationwide from early 2027, chief technology officer Joerg Burzer announced in a LinkedIn post after a meeting at the transport ministry in Berlin.

"Our goal is clear: We want to remain at the forefront of the global competition in assisted and automated driving," he wrote.

EUROPE FOLLOWS CHINA AND U.S.

The system, dubbed MB. DRIVE ASSIST PRO, has been available in China since the end of 2025 and is set for a U.S. market launch later this year.

U.S. EV maker Tesla is currently chasing acceptance of its supervised 'Full Self-Driving' product across the European Union, after early approvals in the Netherlands and Lithuania.

BMW plans to bring its own urban automated driving system to Germany at the end of the year, a company spokesperson said.

Burzer said Mercedes was working intensely with the German transport ministry and the KBA road traffic agency "to bring these and other innovations to market quickly and responsibly", he said.

A spokesperson for the ministry said Burzer and German Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder discussed automated driving on Friday, also in the context of international competition.

The ministry "aims to make Germany a leading hub for innovation in autonomous driving", the spokesperson said, adding that it was in regular contact with industry to advance the technology.

DEVELOPED WITH NVIDIA

Mercedes plans to first introduce MB. DRIVE ASSIST PRO in Stuttgart and Munich, a spokesperson said. The system will eventually be introduced across the automaker's portfolio of cars and vans.

Developed in partnership with U.S. chipmaker Nvidia NVDA.O, the system can navigate traffic lights, lane changes and heavy city traffic, with the driver's supervision.

Many automakers currently limit self-driving features in personal vehicles to highways, where traffic patterns are more predictable. Cities pose tougher challenges, including pedestrians, cyclists and unexpected situations.

(Reporting by Rachel More; Editing by Matthias Williams, Ludwig Burger, Susan Fenton and Louise Heavens)