Photo: BMW
BMW, the company that used “The Ultimate Driving Machine” as a slogan, is well on its way to offering a driverless car by 2021.
Unlike previous statements made by brand officials on this matter, the latest one provides additional clarification. Furthermore, the deadline, set for 2021, is no longer for orientation purposes, but a clear target for BMW.
When a company of this magnitude publicly announces things like these, it means that its officials are confident that they will deliver those promises.
Elmar Frickenstein, the senior vice president for autonomous driving at BMW, has stated that the company is on the way to produce a car with SAE Level 3, 4, and five autonomy.
As Automotive News noted, the statement was made during a panel discussion in Berlin, and the official was kind enough to explain why the vehicle had three levels of autonomy.
The idea is that BMW will be able to offer multiple versions of a product, depending on the desired self-driving capabilities of the automobile. According to SAE standards, Level 3 autonomy means that controls are mandatory, and that a human driver must be present in front of the wheel, and he or she must be ready to step in and take control at any moment.
Level 4 autonomy for a vehicle, according to SAE standards, refers to an automobile that could be driven by a human with traditional controls, or that could drive itself with the built-in systems.
The distinction between level three and level four is that the latter will not require the human to take control at any point, but someone should be present in the car to input a destination and make non-driving-related decisions.
Level 5 automotive autonomy is the one where controls are not necessary for the vehicle that is equipped and SAE-certified for that kind of performance.
These cars will not need humans inside them to enable them to go from a place to another, and they will revolutionize the industry when they become mainstream products.
If we were to analyze the statements made by BMW’s senior VP for autonomous driving, we believe that the blue-and-white roundel will continue to offer controls even in the Level 5 SAE Autonomous models, and that they will be employed purely for human enjoyment, like a twisty road or a track day.
When a company of this magnitude publicly announces things like these, it means that its officials are confident that they will deliver those promises.
Elmar Frickenstein, the senior vice president for autonomous driving at BMW, has stated that the company is on the way to produce a car with SAE Level 3, 4, and five autonomy.
As Automotive News noted, the statement was made during a panel discussion in Berlin, and the official was kind enough to explain why the vehicle had three levels of autonomy.
The idea is that BMW will be able to offer multiple versions of a product, depending on the desired self-driving capabilities of the automobile. According to SAE standards, Level 3 autonomy means that controls are mandatory, and that a human driver must be present in front of the wheel, and he or she must be ready to step in and take control at any moment.
Level 4 autonomy for a vehicle, according to SAE standards, refers to an automobile that could be driven by a human with traditional controls, or that could drive itself with the built-in systems.
The distinction between level three and level four is that the latter will not require the human to take control at any point, but someone should be present in the car to input a destination and make non-driving-related decisions.
Level 5 automotive autonomy is the one where controls are not necessary for the vehicle that is equipped and SAE-certified for that kind of performance.
These cars will not need humans inside them to enable them to go from a place to another, and they will revolutionize the industry when they become mainstream products.
If we were to analyze the statements made by BMW’s senior VP for autonomous driving, we believe that the blue-and-white roundel will continue to offer controls even in the Level 5 SAE Autonomous models, and that they will be employed purely for human enjoyment, like a twisty road or a track day.
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