Page 10 - EE Times Europe Magazine - June 2025

10 EE|Times EUROPE

AUTONOMOUS DRIVING | PILOTS AND DEPLOYMENTS
Level 2+ Could Be a Long-Term Middle Ground

By Anne-Françoise Pelé

evel 2+ autonomous driving technologies are gaining traction, and
the first Level 3 systems have entered the market, albeit at a slower
pace than anticipated. At the recent Mobility Tech Forum, IDTechEx
L technology analyst Shihao Fu mapped the progress of Level 2, Level 2+,
and Level 3 technologies, region by region, and described a future where it will
be possible to read, watch a film, or simply enjoy the scenery while driving to
your destination.

LEVEL 2+, LEVEL 3 LIABILITY Level 3 systems is becoming a bit blurred,”
According to IDTechEx, global adoption Fu said. “Some OEMs define their systems
of Level 2+ and Level 3 functionalities is as Level 2+, 2.5, even 2.9. Essentially, these
expected to exceed 50% by 2035. Revenues advanced Level 2 features are getting close IDTechEx’s Shihao Fu
from Level 2+ and Level 3 alone would surpass to Level 3 in terms of capability, but the main
$4 billion in Europe by 2042, contributing to a difference is whether manufacturers are will- only Germany and Japan actively deploying a
total ADAS feature market of more than ing to take on the liability of Level 3.” limited number of certified vehicles. Germany
$16 billion. Level 3 has been a real challenge for the currently leads the way, with Mercedes-Benz
The main difference between Level 2 and automotive industry because “eyes off” means and BMW models, and Mercedes-Benz
Level 2+ systems is that Level 2 requires driv- the driver cannot be held responsible if the received certification in Nevada and Califor-
ers to keep their hands on the wheel and eyes car makes a mistake, Fu said. Responsibility is nia in 2023.
on the road. With Level 2+, drivers can take therefore transferred to the OEM. “Mercedes has become the first to think its
their hands off the wheel but must always Back in 2017, Audi attempted to pioneer technology is advanced and safe enough that
keep their eyes on the road and be ready to the Level 3 market with the L3-ready A8, the liability isn’t going to cost the company
take full control if necessary. When vehicles but regulatory uncertainty quickly stalled more than the additional revenue they can
operate at Level 2 or 2+, drivers are in control the carmaker’s ambitions and delayed the make from the Level 3 system,” Fu said.
of their vehicles and are responsible at all introduction of true Level 3 autonomy, Fu In December 2024, Mercedes announced it
times. said. In 2021, a clearer regulatory framework had received approval from the German
The transition from Level 2 to Level 3 is emerged under the United Nations Economic Federal Motor Transport Authority for its
more complex in terms of where the responsi- Commission for Europe guidelines, affecting Drive Pilot conditionally automated driving
bility—and thus the liability—lies. Europe and some global markets. Adopters system, making Drive Pilot “the fastest cer-
“The distinction between Level 2 and have proceeded with caution, however, with tified system for Level 3 autonomous driving
in a standard production vehicle,” according
to the company. As part of the approval,
Mercedes accepted liability for any colli-
sions attributable to the Level 3 system and
occurring during what the system reported as
normal functional operation.
“We expect that as Level 3 technol-
ogy improves and regulations develop,
its operational design domain [ODD] will
expand, gradually moving toward urban and
high-speed driving without maps,” Fu said.
“However, we believe it will remain limited
for quite some time.”

LEVEL 3 DEPLOYMENT
In the U.S., only Nevada and California have
authorized limited Level 3 deployment.
“Companies like Ford and GM have already
shown very strong capabilities with their
Level 2+ systems, and as Ford CEO Jim Farley
mentioned last year, Ford is getting close to
Level 3,” Fu said.
In China, the development of end-to-end
autonomous driving technologies is moving
The number of models with available hands-off features is increasing. faster, Fu said. Mapless end-to-end intelligent
(Source: IDTechEx, March 2025) driving is already becoming widely

JUNE 2025 | www.eetimes.eu