Mercedes says Level 4 hands-free automated driving ‘doable' by decade's end

Level 3 on the SAE International scale requires a human to take control of the vehicle when the automated driving system requests. Mercedes Chief Technology Officer Markus Schäfer said achieving the more advanced Level 4 driving is "doable" by the end of the decade. Schäfer sees a market for hands-free, eyes-free driving in congested cities, especially in China, where traffic jams lasting several hours are common. BMW, like Volvo, is planning to install the hardware it believes will be necessary for automated driving and then update the software as capabilities and regulations allow. Germany passed a law in 2021 allowing Level 4 automated driving in specific public spaces.