German legacy automaker BMW is set to become the second company in the world to launch a Level 3 Automated Driving System in Germany, trailing behind Mercedes-Benz.
According to BMW Blog, the innovative Personal Pilot L3 will debut in the latest-gen 7 Series. Customers can place an order for the $6,400 system in December, while deliveries will begin in March 2024.
Personal Pilot L3 details
The Personal Pilot L3 costs about $6,400 (€6,000). It basically supports hands-off driving at maximum speeds of 37 miles per hour (60 km/h) on highways with “structurally separated carriageways,” InsideEVs noted.
BMW also boasts that the Personal Pilot L3 is the first-ever autonomous driving system to support night driving owing to its “particularly sophisticated sensors.”
However, it may still require the driver to take control of the wheels if necessary. Failure to take over will prompt the car to stop driving.
BMW’s Personal Pilot L3 functions by integrating data from advanced technologies, including a live high-definition map, 360-degree sensors, several video cameras, 3D lidar sensors, ultrasonic sensors, radar sensors, and “extremely accurate GPS.”
What is Level 3 Autonomous Driving?
A Level 3 Automated Driving System enables a car to drive autonomously under “limited conditions,” according to the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE).
Level 3 is capable of performing the following autonomous features:
- Steering
- Accelerating
- Braking
- Lane-centering,
- Maintaining an appropriate distance from the car in front
However, owners must still be prepared to take over anytime the feature requests human assistance, unlike the more advanced Levels 4 and 5.
For comparison, the highest Level 5 Automated Driving Systems will not ask for human assistance in terms of driving. It is also authorized to operate under all conditions, which is the only difference it has with Level 4.
BMW Personal Pilot L3’s debut followed the recent deployment of the new Highway Assistant (SAE Level 2) to the new 5 Series, which supports automated lane-changing by “simply turning your head.” All these are parts of the company’s efforts to catch up in the rapidly growing market, where customers continue to seek innovations in cat technology.
