CONCORD, CA – The Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) and Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America, Inc. (MBRDNA) announced a new agreement to partner with the City of Concord and the United States Navy to bring self-driving cars to Contra Costa. Under the agreement, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority and Mercedes-Benz Research & Development Northern California (MBRDNA) have licenses to test cutting edge transportation technology including traffic signals that ‘communicate’ with cars, and connected and autonomous driving vehicles at a new test bed within the Concord Naval Weapons Station (CNWS).
“The Contra Costa Transportation Authority is committed to supporting research that enhances safety while shining a spotlight on innovation,” stated Executive Director, Randy Iwasaki. “We’re extremely proud to be working with the City of Concord, Mercedes-Benz and the Navy to bring cutting edge technology to Contra Costa and we look forward to connecting our resources with those advancing research and technology to improve transportation.”
“We can use the test site in Concord, California, to run simulation tests with self-driving vehicles in a secure way, including specific hazardous situations”, explained Dr. Axel Gern, head of autonomous driving at Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America, Inc. (MBRDNA). “Taken in conjunction with the results of our test drives on public roads, these tests will help us with the ongoing development of our autonomous cars.” The focus of research nevertheless continues to lie on the tests undertaken in a real-life environment, he emphasized.
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