The Six Degrees Of Autonomy Of Driverless Cars

In 2014, SAE International (Society of Automotive Engineers) published the concept of autonomy levels for automated driving systems, which the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has already adopted. Here is a primer on the six degrees of autonomy:

Level 0 (No Automation): The human driver controls all of the driving actions, including acceleration, braking, throttle, and steering.

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Level 1 (Driver Assistance): Recent car models already have this kind of automation in forms of adaptive cruise control and park assist. The human driver can have the computer take control of either the steering or acceleration and braking, but never both.

Level 2 (Partial Automation): A level-two automated car can take over both the pedals and the wheels, given certain conditions. The human driver must still keep his eyes on the road and regain control of the vehicle at any time.

Level 3 (Conditional Automation): This degree of automation is similar to the previous one, however, the human driver does not have to monitor the situation that much. The vehicle is capable of deciding on its own whenever dynamic incidents occur on the road, but the human driver serves as the fallback system. Because this autonomy level can cause potential issues on liability, car manufacturers would rather skip this level.

Level 4 (High Automation): A true self-driving car, the vehicle can accomplish all driving tasks on its own. A steering wheel, pedals, and throttle are still installed, though, to allow the human driver to take control if he prefers to.

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Level 5 (Full Automation): Cars of this degree of autonomy cannot be driven by a human because there are no steering wheels and pedals.

Jeff Lupient is a hands-on dealership manager who has years of experience in the industry. Visit this website for similar articles on the automotive industry.

The Possible Effects Of Autonomous Vehicles On Automotive Retailers

Since the 1930s, vehicles that are driverless or that have mechanical autopilots were already being conceptualized. One century later, partially or fully autonomous vehicles are finally expected to arrive. Depending on how legislation and consumers respond to this new technology, it could take just 10 years or less before driverless or self-driving cars are seen coasting every road or street in the country.

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The entry and commercialization of these autonomous vehicles have various implications on retailers, such as the following:

Shift in customer segmentation

The market segment that would probably adopt the autonomous technology the quickest is the business segment because families are less inclined to purchase an autonomous car for they would most likely be concerned about control and their safety, especially the children’s.

Businesses, particularly logistics companies, would not have the same concern. Driverless freights or cars can even bring additional advantages, such as lower costs, additional resources that can be spent on interacting with customers, and reduced risk to human life.

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Car ownership

Autonomous vehicles would obviously cost much more than regular cars. There is then the possibility that that new-car sales could be reduced, which could make car sharing or fractional ownership more attractive to private buyers.

Minnesota-native Jeff Lupient is the current president and CEO of Lupient Automotive Group. Before assuming the post, he has worked in different positions in his family’s chain of car dealerships. For more about the automotive industry, check out this page.