Understanding The Different Levels of Self Driving Cars
Self driving cars are slowly but surely becoming a reality in the modern automotive world, and autonomous driving is a term we're slowly becoming accustomed to, along with electric vehicles (EVs). However, despite the technology that has improved by leaps and bounds, we’re still a little bit off from having completely driverless cars on the road. Still, with the current technology available, autonomous driving can be categorised into different levels.
Image from: Forbes (Understanding The Different Levels of Self Driving Cars)
Today, we’re taking a look at these different levels of self-driving cars and what they mean to the world of driving as a whole.
How are the self-driving levels classified?
There are six levels of autonomy in the classification system, ranging from level 0 to level 5:
Level 0
A Level 0 vehicle could be sitting in your driveway right now. They have no autonomous or self-driving controls at all, with all aspects of driving needing to be taken care of by the driver, including reacting to hazards.
Level 1
Level 1 autonomy is the most common on roads today. It refers to cars that have systems that allow the car and driver to share control of the vehicle. Adaptive cruise control, which controls speed and distance compared to the vehicle in front is a good example, as the driver still has to take care of the steering. A park assist feature is an example of level 1 too, as the driver has to control the speed of the vehicle while the car takes care of the steering. There is also a range of safety features across most manufacturers which offer some level 1 autonomy.
Level 2
Level 2 cars, also referred to as "hands-off", have internal systems that take care of all aspects of driving: steering, acceleration and braking. However, the driver must be able to intervene if any part of the system fails, and is required to keep their hands on the wheel at all times and must stay alert to road conditions. One example of a level 2 car is Tesla's Autopilot as it can automatically keep you in the right lane on the road and keep you at a safe distance from the car in front when in a traffic jam.
Level 3
Level 3 vehicles are ones that can be truly considered autonomous. Often referred to as "eyes-off" vehicles, those that fall into level 3 can allow the driver to sit back and relax as the car can take care of everything while driving along the road.
Image from: IEEE Innovation (Understanding The Different Levels of Self Driving Cars)
Drivers are allowed to safely use their phones or watch movies, although they are still required to be on-hand to intervene if necessary, so falling asleep isn't an option.
The abandoned Audi A8’s autonomous driving update is the first car to claim level 3 autonomy, as it can take over all aspects of driving, in slow-moving traffic. However, whether it's legal to drive in an "eyes-off" state is a different matter - currently, you still have to be in control of the vehicle when driving on public highways.
Level 4
Level 4 cars are referred to as "mind-off", because they're so capable that the driver isn't required to intervene at all, so you can go to sleep if you want.
Image from: Siemens PLM (Understanding The Different Levels of Self Driving Cars)
However, there are some restrictions, as the full self-driving mode can only be activated in certain, geofenced areas or in traffic jams. If the car isn't in a specified area or in a traffic jam, then it must be able to get itself to safety if the driver isn't able to take control in an emergency. The best example of a level 4 vehicle is Google's Waymo project. Waymo vehicles have been operating driver free for some time in the US, although a test driver is on hand just in case anything goes wrong. Many concepts now claim level 4, although legally, they wouldn't be able to drive in that state, yet.
Level 5
Level 5 cars are ones that require no human interaction whatsoever, they are fully autonomous vehicles. Examples of level 5 vehicles are robotic taxis or Audi's Aicon concept vehicles. Don’t be too excited yet, as we’re still a very long way off from putting level 5 vehicles into mass production.
Who sets the autonomous levels?
SAE International (Society of Automotive Engineers) published the classification system for the six different autonomy levels in 2014, which was subsequently updated in 2016 and 2018 titled "Taxonomy and Definitions for Terms Related to Driving Automation Systems for On-Road Motor Vehicles".
Image from: New Security (Understanding The Different Levels of Self Driving Cars)
Each level is classified by how much a driver is required to intervene and how attentive they need to be when behind the wheel of an autonomous vehicle. These levels are slowly being updated as technology advances and the discussion of autonomous features in vehicles are slowly beginning to increase.
When will autonomous cars be allowed on the road?
In most countries, autonomous driving systems are tested under certain conditions, usually with special regulatory permissions.
In Malaysia, this is known as the Next Generation Vehicle (NxGV), which requires a few prerequisites before it qualifies. For one, it has to meet the definition of an Energy Efficient Vehicle (EEV) and be equipped with Intelligent Mobility applications with a minimum of level 3 automation.
Image from: The Star (Understanding The Different Levels of Self Driving Cars)
To spearhead the development of NxGV in Malaysia, the Ministry of Transport together with the Sepang Municipal Council has approved Malaysia’s first public road as an autonomous vehicle (AV) testing route. Developed by Futurise under the National Regulatory Sandbox initiative, the Cyberjaya Malaysia Autonomous Vehicle (MyAV) Testing Route is a seven (7) kilometre testing route for AV.
The testing route will allow tech companies to test and validate the capabilities of their autonomous vehicle technology on Malaysia’s public road under a set-up of ‘real’ traffic conditions, prior to them seeking approvals from local authorities and traffic regulators to implement the technology on private and commercial vehicles.
Image from: Robb Report (Understanding The Different Levels of Self Driving Cars)
It’s exciting to see how autonomous cars will be the next big thing on the road, especially in Malaysia. Fingers crossed that we’ll have these self-driving cars out and about within the next few years.
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