BMW includes Level 2 and Level 3 autonomous driving in Series 7 models

Autonomous driving is beginning to be applied in several models from different brands. Arguably, the best known is Tesla, which includes its Auto Pilot in many of its models. But little by little, it is being included in more and more models from brands that are more firmly established in the market. In principle, these are high-end models that use driver assistance systems, but some brands already use Level 2 and even Level 3 autonomous driving systems.

Autonomous driving is divided into five levels, with Level 1 being the least technological and practical, and Level 5 being the one that allows the car to drive itself without human intervention. The latter is still a long way off, but Level 3 is already being implemented. BMW has just introduced an autonomous driving system that allows Level 2 and Level 3 to operate at the same time.

The BMW Series 7 already has Level 3

Level 3 autonomous driving allows the car to carry out the manoeuvres needed to move along the motorway without requiring a human driver. Working in combination with Level 2, the car can go for long periods without a driver at the wheel. That said, the driver must keep their hands on the wheel at all times and must be able to regain control of the vehicle immediately.

With this Level 2 autonomous driving, cars can travel at a maximum speed of up to 130 km/h. With this system, the car can even perform the lane-change manoeuvre, depending on traffic conditions. But with the addition of Level 3 autonomous driving, the driver will be able to take their hands off the wheel and devote their time to other things, without paying attention to the road.

That said, in this case the maximum speed at which this system can be applied is 60 km/h. When this system is active, the driver will be able to answer the phone, send text messages or record and send videos. However, they must be able to regain control within seconds.

From this year, the BMW Series 7 will incorporate these two levels of autonomous driving simultaneously, although to do so the brand has had to introduce a new interface so that the driver can tell the two driving modes apart and not get confused. Thus, owners of a BMW Series 7 can fit the BMW Highway Assistant and BMW Personal Pilot L3 systems, although they will have to pay €6,000 to have both.

But there is a catch. For the time being, the BMW Personal Pilot L3 will only be available in Germany, the only country where its use is currently permitted.

Technical specifications of this car

SedanBMW Serie 73 versions · from 124,200 €