The automaker has taught the all-electric S-Class counterpart to valet-park at a specially prepared parking lot of InterContinental Hotel, Los Angeles.
As long as the parking area has the required sensors installed, drivers can safely leave their cars and push a single button in a mobile app to let them find an opening and park themselves.
A paid feature called Intelligent Park Pilot exchanges data with the hardware installed in the parking lot, which enables cars to know which places are occupied and which ones are not. They semi-autonomous driving system still uses its array of onboard sensors to stop automatically before pedestrians and vehicles.
As soon as the car has found an unoccupied place, it takes it automatically and waits for the owner to return. Should the owner press the app button again, it will drive out of the pocket and move to the spot it was originally left at.
The company claims the feature saves the drivers’ nerves by making the whole process more convenient. More importantly, it also makes parking areas more space-efficient by packing cars closer to each other (no need to leave enough space for the door to open and the driver to get out).
Aside from the electric EQS, a similar system is also present on board the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class, but both only function on select parking lots with the necessary equipment installed.