Within the car world, it is not uncommon for different (big) names to enter into a collaboration agreement with each other. This time it is the turn of the Volkswagen subsidiary Cariad, which has announced that it will build a platform for autonomous driving together with Bosch. The platform will already be used with certainty by all brands that are part of the Volkswagen Group. At the time of writing, both companies have the objective of deploying the first functions for autonomous driving in 2023.
Standardized software platform
Cariad and Bosch will jointly build a so-called standardized software platform. Initially, the platform will therefore be used by all makes and models belonging to the Volkswagen group. However, it doesn’t stop there. This is because the system can also be offered under license to other car manufacturers. The technology should enable two different forms of autonomous driving. This then concerns:
Level 2 autonomous driving;
Level 3 autonomous driving;
For Level 2 autonomous driving, the driver can only remove his or her hand from the steering wheel for a limited time. Level 3 autonomous driving also includes the option of autonomous driving on the motorway. In principle, in this situation it would then be possible for the driver to keep his or her hands off the steering wheel all the time.
First implementation in 2023
The aim of Bosch and Cariad is to have the first implementation of the new platform in the year 2023. However, it remains to be seen whether Level 3 autonomous driving will also be involved or not. In addition, the partnership that they have announced is also investigating the possibilities of going one step further. One would also like to introduce Level 4 autonomous driving on the market. Quite a bit has been said and written about this in the past. In principle, Level 4 is very similar to Level 3 autonomous driving. The only difference lies in the location where the autonomous driving takes place. For Level 3, this is the motorway, while for Level 4 it is a built-up area.
No plans yet for Level 5 autonomous driving
For all the different car brands currently involved in autonomous driving, the plans relate to Level 4 as much as possible. This creates the false expectation that this is the final level for this form of autonomous driving. However, that is not correct. In practice, all car brands will eventually work towards Level 5 autonomous driving.
In practice, this form of autonomous driving is often referred to as the so-called “mind-off” level. However, it is not yet known exactly how this will look in practice. In principle, it is the case with these cars that a driver can take over the wheel whenever he or she wishes, but there is no longer any obligation to do so. Several companies have subsequently announced that the presence of pedals and a steering wheel would no longer be a requirement. However, this encounters a lot of resistance from the various governments.
So far, there has been no specific legislation for this form of autonomous driving in the Netherlands and other European countries. By definition, this doesn’t mean it’s prohibited, but it’s actually not allowed either. If an accident were to occur with a Level 5 autonomous vehicle, for example, it would not be clear who exactly would be responsible for it. It is partly for this reason that the majority of companies today still stay far away from this level of autonomous driving.
Also other partnerships
The partnership between Cariad and Bosch is certainly not unique to the automotive world. Earlier it became known that many other big names have also entered into a collaboration for the implementation of new platforms for autonomous driving. This includes the partnership between Mercedes-Benz and Volvo together with the American company Luminar. These companies have joined forces to develop a platform that should enable autonomous driving up to Level 3. For the time being, there are no plans within this partnership to also make the higher levels possible. However, it goes without saying that this could certainly change in the (near) future.
Meer over deze brontekstBrontekst vereist voor aanvullende vertaalinformatie
Feedback sturen
Zijvensters