Certain 2024 BMW 7 Series cars will be able to drive themselves. The feature is set to launch in Germany this December; no U.S. release date has been announced. The system will automatically disable itself outside of specific geographic regions; currently, laws relating to self-driving cars differ massively from state to state.
BMW’s system will be similar to the Mercedes-Benz setup within the scope of what is legally possible in Germany. The Traffic Jam Pilot can be activated only on the motorway in traffic jam situations up to a maximum of 60 km/h, and the car must detect it is in dense highway traffic and find a vehicle in front that marks the end of the traffic jam. The driver’s eyes must be on the road, and their hands on the steering wheel. When the car decides these conditions have been met, the driver will be invited to tap a new button on the steering wheel. This activates L3 self-driving.
However, while L3 driving can only be activated during the day and in good weather with Mercedes-Benz Drive Pilot, BMW plans to use it in the dark, too. Like Mercedes-Benz, the feature will not work in construction sites, rain, or subfreezing temperatures. Automatic lane changes are also not yet possible.
The car is equipped with an Innoviz long-range solid-state lidar, said to cover 250 m and a field of view of 120 degrees horizontally and 15 degrees vertically at a resolution of 0.1 degrees.
DVN comment
BMW is the 4th car maker introducing L3 functionality after Honda, Mercedes-Benz, and Hyundai-Kia. HK allows a maximum speed of 80 km/h vs 60 for Mercedes-Benz and BMW.
