From 2024 in the BMW 7 Series: The hands-free function allows the driver to temporarily turn their attention away from the traffic while driving at speeds of up to 60 km/h.
The BMW Personal Pilot L3 enables automated driving at Level 3.
BMW AG
The option for the new BMW 7 Series, with the exception of the i7 eDrive50 and i7 M70 xDrive models, can be ordered from December for €6,000 including VAT and will be available from March 2024. The BMW Personal Pilot L3 is intended for use on daily highway commutes with slow-moving traffic or traffic jams. With the driving function at Level 3, the driver can not only take their hands off the steering wheel on freeways with separate lanes and at speeds of up to 60 km/h, but can also devote themselves to secondary activities, such as working on emails or watching a video on the screen.
Corresponding symbols on the instrument cluster show the driver whether BMW Personal Pilot L3 is available. It can be activated or deactivated via a steering wheel button. The driver must be able to resume the driving task at any time as soon as the traffic situation requires it or the section of road suitable for the use of BMW Personal Pilot L3 ends. If the driver does not respond to the visual and acoustic signals, the vehicle is brought to a controlled stop. The surroundings are monitored and the position determined using a live HD map with exact route courses, GPS positioning and a 360° sensor system. This is made up of cameras, ultrasonic and radar sensors as well as a 3D lidar sensor. A new software stack, a computing platform and a connection to the BMW Cloud via the 5G mobile communications standard are also used. Mercedes-Benz presented its "Drive Pilot" system back in 2021.