Autonomous driving isnt quite as clear cut as it sounds.
Despite many vehicles claiming to have self-driving capabilities, they arent all the same.
It’s free, every week, in your inbox.
Its important to know these levels to correctly distinguish one supposedly autonomous vehicle from the next.
Lets waste no more time, here are the six levels of automation.
Level 0
These vehicles have no automation features at all.
These are most likely older or more basic cars.
Chances are, a lot of the cars on the road today fall into this category.
Level 1
Cars that fall into this category possess some low-level driver assistance features.
Level 1 features tend to be positioned as driver aids and safety features likeBMWs driver assistance systems.
But even so, drivers of such cars should always pay full attention to the road.
TeslasFull Self-Driving Autopilotsystem is generally considered a Level 2 piece of tech.
However, the driver must still hold the steering wheel, and monitor traffic for safety.
But they should still be there ready to take over when needed.
Of course, local laws also dictate what level of attention the driver should be paying to the road.
There are often geographical restrictions on where this self-driving tech can be used, so drivers are still needed.
Projects likeGoogles Waymois one of the most well-known applications of Level 4 self-driving tech.
Level 5
This is the holy-grail for developers of self-driving tech.
In theory, Level 5 autonomous self-driving vehicles will blend seamlessly into traffic.
The future?
While there are lots of companies working on self-driving cars, there are still manyregulatory and societal challengesto overcome.
Making autonomous vehicles safe, useful, and affordable is no easy task.
Whats more, drivers themselves also need to acknowledge their capabilities and limitations.
Despite Teslas FSD system being only Level 2, many drivers use it as if it were much higher.
Last year, some individuals evenshot a pornographic film in a Teslathat was driving on Autopilot at the time.
Another individual wasarrest for flossing their teeth whilst at the wheelof an Autopilot-enabled Tesla traveling 84 mph.
Story byMatthew Beedham
Matthew is the editor of SHIFT.
He likes electric cars, and other things with wheels, wings, or hulls.
