Just as Elon Musk announced that the Full Self-Driving (FSD) advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) could move out of the Beta stage of development by the end of 2023, Mobileye came swinging with the confirmation that its autonomous driving solution would be featured on the upcoming Polestar 4. Here's the gist of it.
Currently, the automotive industry is in a race nobody asked for. Most major players rush to relieve the driver of their duties while behind the steering wheel. But they aren't doing it for cheap.
According to the SAE J3016 standard for driving automation, six levels of ADAS are possible. Level 0 comprises basic safety features like automatic emergency braking, Level 1 includes lane-keeping assist or adaptive cruise control, and Level 2 combines adaptive cruise control with lane-keeping assist. Up to this point, the driver is always responsible for what happens with the vehicle despite the ADAS being turned on.
Level 3 encompasses more advanced features that can control the car in urban environments, but the computer might ask you to take over when some conditions are unmet. That is known as conditionally automated driving. Think of Mercedes-Benz's Drive Pilot, which was certified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as a Level 3 ADAS at the beginning of the year.
Level 4 goes even further and takes out the driver from the equation entirely. You'll never be asked to drive when such an ADAS is on. However, it will only work under certain conditions and in specific environments. A good example here is Waymo's robotaxis, which couldn't operate at one point because of fog.
Photo: Terranet AB
Level 5 is the ultimate level of driving autonomy. The car can do anything by itself, anywhere, under any conditions. Imagine a driverless Zoox e-shuttle that doesn't have a steering wheel and looks like an airport transport mini-bus that can accommodate only four people.
Self-driving vehicles are poised to become increasingly more common
Tesla's CEO recently demoed live FSD V12 – the successor to FSD Beta. This new version should be capable of navigating city streets and highways. However, as shown in that demonstration, it will still need the driver to act as a failsafe. That makes it a Level 2 ADAS for now, no matter what Tesla might say about it.
FSD can improve once the company starts unlocking Hardware 4's capabilities by allowing it to rummage through all the video data collected by newer Model Ys. These crossover SUVs currently act like the manufacturer's test mules for software development and cannot run FSD Beta. The footage they record is better than what Hardware 3 equipment can do, so the system needs time to adjust to the new information it receives.
But while Tesla's self-driving solution needs just cameras, neural networks, and no hardcoding to control a vehicle, Mobileye uses more sensing technologies that could give it the upper hand. Instead of having a powerful processing unit that imitates human driving by compiling mountains of video data and figuring out a predictable movement, the Israeli Intel-owned company implemented more systems to ensure redundancy.
Photo: Mobileye
It also uses a simplified mathematical model that's based on five simple principles:
don't hit the car in front of you;
don't cut in recklessly;
right of way is given, not taken;
be cautious in areas with limited visibility;
if you can avoid a crash without causing another one, you must.
Mobileye and Tesla used to be partners. They ended the collaboration after a Tesla Model S with Autopilot turned on was involved in a serious crash in which a person lost their life. From that point onward, the EV maker decided to go on its own route with software development and worked directly with chip suppliers like Nvidia.
Polestar 4 and Mobileye
The Model Y competitor is already on sale in China, and its cost starts from around $51,000. The coupe SUV with no rear window is expected to arrive stateside sometime next year as a 2025 model-year unit with an MSRP of around $60,000. Don't think too much of it because the Polestar 3, which is slightly shorter than the more stylish sibling, boasts a starting price of $85,300. Thus, the EV could be more expensive.
The possibility of a higher price is further induced by the advanced driver-assistance technology Mobileye and ECARX will install on the vehicle.
Photo: Polestar
Mobileye takes care of the radar, lidar, cameras, and computer that can enable "hands-off, eyes-off autonomous driving on controlled-access highways in operational-defined domains." That makes it a Level 3 ADAS.
Lidar and radar do different things. They both emit electromagnetic waves to scan the surfaces and objects around the car, but the former shoots invisible lasers while the latter uses radio waves.
ECARX brings the hardware and algorithms necessary for parking. It will also make sure the two systems work together well.
The decision to put this ADAS suite on the upcoming Polestar 4 is somewhat peculiar. Polestar 3 is coming in late 2024 with a somewhat similar solution called Pilot. But that's provided by Luminar, a Mobileye partner.
The technology debuts in China, so we should see some results before the EV arrives in the US.
Car shows on TV and his father's Fiat Tempra may have been Florin's early influences, but nowadays he favors different things, like the power of an F-150 Raptor. He'll never be able to ignore the shape of a Ferrari though, especially a yellow one. Full profile
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