6 Levels of Driving Automation

Back in 2021 it was expected that by 2025 we would see 8 million autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles on the road. Are we still on track to hit those numbers?  

Self-driving cars must progress through 6 levels of driving automations, these are defined from 0 (fully Manual) to 5 (fully autonomous). 

Level 0 (No Driving Automation) 

Most vehicles currently on the road operate at Level 0, where manual control is the norm. In this scenario, humans handle the "dynamic driving task," even if there are supportive systems in place. For instance, the emergency braking system, while providing assistance, doesn't fall under automation as it doesn't actively "drive" the vehicle. 

Level 1 (Driver Assistance) 

This is the lowest level of automation. The vehicle features a single automated system for driver assistance, such as steering or accelerating (cruise control). Adaptive cruise control, where the vehicle can be kept at a safe distance behind the next car, qualifies as Level 1 because the human driver monitors the other aspects of driving such as steering and braking.  

Level 2 (Partial Driving Automation) 

This means advanced driver assistance systems or ADAS. The vehicle can control both steering and accelerating/decelerating. Here the automation falls short of self-driving because a human sits in the driver’s seat and can take control of the car at any time. Tesla Autopilot and GM Super Cruise systems are both examples that qualify as Level 2. 

Level 3 (Conditional Driving Automation) 

The jump from Level 2 to Level 3 is substantial from a technological perspective, but subtle if not negligible from a human perspective. 

Level 3 vehicles have “environmental detection” capabilities and can make informed decisions for themselves, such as accelerating past a slow-moving vehicle. However, they still require human override. The driver must remain alert and ready to take control if the system is unable to execute the task. 

Level 4 (High Driving Automation) 

The key difference between Level 3 and Level 4 automation is that Level 4 vehicles can intervene if things go wrong or there is a system failure. In this sense, these cars do not require human interaction in most circumstances. However, a human still has the option to manually override. 

Level 4 vehicles can operate in self-driving mode but, until legislation and infrastructure evolve, they can only do so within a limited area (usually an urban environment where top speeds reach an average of 30mph). This is known as geofencing. As such, most Level 4 vehicles in existence are geared toward ridesharing.  

For example: 

• Cruise has been deploying Level 4 Robotaxis in San Francisco, yielding mixed results. 

• Alphabet's Waymo recently recalled Level 4 self-driving taxi services in Arizona, where they conducted tests with driverless cars, notably without a safety driver in the seat. 

• Just weeks (Feb 8th) ago, ZF China announced their acquisition of a level 4 licence to develop Level 4 electric vehicles that will serve the robotaxi market in China. 

Level 5 (Do not require human attention) 

In Level 5 autonomy, the "dynamic driving task" is completely eliminated. Cars at this level won't feature steering wheels or traditional acceleration/braking pedals. They will be free of geofencing limitations, possessing the capability to navigate anywhere and perform tasks equivalent to those of a skilled human driver. While fully autonomous cars are undergoing testing in various locations worldwide, they are still a little way off public wide usage.  

So how long before we see Autonomous cars on our roads? 

The future of autonomous vehicles holds great promise, but widespread production beyond Level 3 is still years away. It's not a technological limitation but rather significant safety and security concerns that are hindering progress. 

Consumers, understandably, require assurance in the safety of autonomous cars before widespread acceptance. While that day is approaching, the automotive industry must ‘navigate’ through a few obstacles before gaining full confidence from the public.