Auto manufacturers have been promising for many years that their cars will soon be capable of driving autonomously, requiring no input from humans.
All of that will be due to an intricate network of sensors, cameras, and artificial intelligence.
So far, however, this has not occurred, as the technical challenges appear quite significant.
However, anticipate imminent developments regarding self-driving automobiles. By 2025, Mercedes-Benz plans to offer autonomous driving capabilities up to speeds of 95 km/h, which aligns with Level 3 standards, in certain models.
The automaker intends to introduce a 2++ system for city driving in China later this year, whereas Nissan targets providing autonomous driving capabilities starting in 2027.
What is the significance of it all? Here’s an explanation addressing several crucial queries regarding self-driving vehicles and the various stages being contemplated.
What is autonomous driving?
The car manufacturing sector categorizes self-driving vehicles into five tiers, which they refer to as assistance (Level 1), partial automation (Level 2), high automation (Level 3), full automation (Level 4), and complete autonomy (Level 5).
Starting at level 2, a vehicle can autonomously steer, brake, and accelerate under specific circumstances like when using adaptive cruise control or lane-change assist features. Nevertheless, the driver needs to keep their hands on the steering wheel and remains responsible for the operation of the vehicle.
It is only at Level 3 that the vehicle assumes these responsibilities under specific circumstances. At this point, the driver is free to engage in other activities like reading, viewing video content, or using their smartphone. Nonetheless, the driver must be prepared to reclaim control of the automobile during emergencies or whenever the system requests assistance.
At Level 4, the car assumes control of the driving tasks, turning the operator into more of a passenger. Nonetheless, should they desire, these individuals have the option to resume manual operation and steer the vehicle themselves.
At Level 5 of autonomy for self-driving cars, the automobile manages every aspect of driving without human intervention—no longer requiring a steering wheel or pedals since the vehicle performs all functions independently.
"Reaching Level 3 represents an entirely new realm. In this stage, the car bears the primary responsibility; it needs to alert the driver to intervene," explains Markus Lienkamp, a professor specializing in automotive engineering at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). The transition should occur between four to eight seconds. "It’s crucial for the vehicle to identify when autonomous operation becomes impossible—then ensure safety conditions persist for as long as eight seconds. Executing these functions demands immense complexity," notes Lienkamp.
What conditions must vehicles meet to operate autonomously?
To permit a vehicle to operate autonomously at Level 3 according to international standards like UN R3157, it needs to handle specific driving duties without human intervention as per global rules (UN R3157).
Up until now, only Mercedes-Benz has been capable of achieving this on highways at speeds up to 60 km/h.
As of March 2025, BMW is providing a comparable system called the Personal Pilot L3 for their 7 Series model. However, no company has granted approval for this technology’s usage beyond highways, such as within urban areas.
What issues are associated with autonomous vehicles?
The difficulty with autonomous vehicles lies in the fact that these systems must function perfectly all the time—anything less than 100% reliability isn’t sufficient. This technological challenge is enormous—with over 40 assistance features currently utilizing cameras, radar, and LiDAR sensors within a level 2 setup such as the one offered by Mercedes-Benz.
Highly automated automobiles necessitate surveillance systems including cameras, lidar, radar, and ultrasonic sensors. Additionally, they rely on extremely precise mapping data along with centimeter-level positioning through satellite technology to aid these robotic vehicles.
Transitioning from level 2 to level 3 represents a significant leap. According to Taner Kandemir, Project Manager for Autonomous Driving at Mercedes-Benz, vehicles at this level require specific design considerations for critical components like braking, steering, and electronic systems due to safety concerns. It’s essential that manufacturers guarantee redundancy so that should one part fail, another system can immediately compensate.
"Should the automated steering function fail at Level 2, the driver can intervene manually. However, at Level 3, there isn’t sufficient time for such intervention; instead, the vehicle must activate a safety mechanism," explains Lienkamp.
In which areas is automated driving functional?
Currently, automated driving operates exclusively on designated sections of highway free from construction work, confined strictly to the far-right lanes, and ceases functioning after dark in both Germany and the U.S. states of Nevada and California. In Germany, this technology lacks authorization for use on rural routes and city streets. Technically speaking, implementing a level 2++ system would be feasible in Germany; however, such usage remains unauthorized.
A city transportation system is presently undergoing testing in China; however, braking can still occur rather suddenly at times. This setup may become purchasable within the country before this year ends. "At some point down the line, automatic travel through our cities will indeed happen," states Kandemir. "Nonetheless, since surroundings remain quite intricate, we continue amassing knowledge via ongoing initiatives in China right now."
What is the experience like with self-driving cars?
Prior to the driver being able to unwind while on the road, several factors must be taken into account. The Mercedes Drive Pilot system aims to provide highly automated operation on highways starting around 2025, capable of handling speeds up to 95 km/h in the outer lanes and up to 60 km/h in the center lane.
However, the system won’t function during lane changes, construction zones, tunnels, or under adverse weather conditions and temperatures below 4°C. It only works when a car is ahead of the driver’s vehicle—not exceeding 95 km/h—and the driver needs to enable this feature by pressing a button located atop the steering wheel.
A notification pops up on the screen showing that the vehicle has taken charge of driving, while both buttons located on the steering wheel illuminate at once, signaling that the autonomous feature is operational. Should these indicators remain lit continuously, drivers may divert their attention to other activities—provided they stay alert for when the system triggers an alert. Upon hearing this warning, the driver needs to switch off the self-driving mode quickly via the steering wheel controls and resume manual operation.
When can we expect to see automated driving in urban areas?
It varies. Automated driving is operational on highways in Germany at present, whereas here, we need to wait for a few more years before it becomes available on rural roads and within urban areas.
Experts anticipate this will occur by the end of the decade. Technically speaking, assisted driving like that provided by a level 2++ system is feasible in Germany as well; however, it hasn’t been authorized yet.
However, advancements are anticipated on highways as well. "By the end of this decade, our ultimate objective is to achieve a suggested speed limit of 130 km/h on highways," states Kandemir. Additionally, the highest allowed speed for vehicles using advanced automation technology will also be set at 130 km/h.
Link Kamp believes that level 3 systems offer advantages particularly on highways where routes can be easily anticipated. However, he thinks they provide minimal benefits in urban areas due to their complicated environments and challenging scenarios.
Liebeck suggests opting for a Level 4 vehicle instead. Such driverless cabs navigate automatically to their destination and have commercial applications," states Liebeck. For many years now, TUM has been investigating this type of autonomous vehicle. In late September, an adapted Volkswagen van equipped with open-source tech maneuvered itself through downtown Munich, successfully identifying traffic signals, pedestrians, and complying with road rules.
When dangerous situations occurred, the developers took over of the car by remote control, with a safety driver sitting behind the wheel during the journey. "We wanted to show that we can also build level 4 robot cars in Germany and give technical development a boost," says Lienkamp.
How much will autonomous vehicles set you back?
The cost associated with automated car technology remains quite high, amounting to several thousand dollars. BMW prices their highway assist feature at around €6,000 or approximately $6,500, whereas Mercedes-Benz asks for a minimum of €5,950. Consequently, self-driving capabilities would primarily become financially viable within the next few years either for premium models or in business operations where automation could substitute human drivers under specific conditions, making it economically feasible.