Jaguar puts its first 100% autonomous car to the test

A Range Rover Sport equipped with a level 4 autonomous driving system has been tested on a simulated urban road.

Jaguar Land Rover is one of the pioneering manufacturers in autonomous driving, and has now achieved one of its major goals: putting a 100% autonomous version of one of its models on the road. The British carmaker (JLR) has carried out, for the first time, a 100% autonomous driving test with one of its models, albeit on a road that simulates urban traffic conditions.

A Range Rover Sport with level 4 autonomous technology

The test was carried out in Nuneaton with a unit of the Range Rover Sport fitted with a level 4 autonomous driving system, which means the vehicle can drive by itself without driver assistance, although the supervision of a person behind the wheel is still required at this level.

The test was carried out on a simulated urban road

According to Jaguar Land Rover, the vehicle is capable of driving through roundabouts and junctions and even stopping before a traffic light line. The relevant tests were performed on a track that simulated urban road conditions.

The autonomous driving technologies that Jaguar Land Rover is developing

Apparently, Jaguar is developing a series of autonomous driving and connectivity technologies at its Nuneaton test centre. Among them stand out Emergency Vehicle Warning (EVW), Intersection Collision Warning (ICW) and In-Vehicle Signage (IVS), a technology that could replace in-vehicle cameras for recognising traffic signs and informing the driver of them. Vehicle cameras often misread road signs, but the IVS system uses a more reliable road data transmission that ensures the information is correct.

The British group already offers level 2 and level 3 autonomous driving technology in its models, allowing its cars to drive autonomously on motorways at certain times.