Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Automotive News
  • Automobilwoche
  • Automotive News Canada
  • Automotive News China
Subscribe
  • Subscribe
  • Newsletters
  • Login
  • HOME
    • Latest news
    • Automakers
    • Suppliers
    • New Product
    • Environment/Emissions
    • Sales By Market
    • On The Move
    • Auto Shows
    • Skoda plans to cut 2% of admin jobs
      Porsche considering entry to more sustainable F1 racing, report says
      UK sales plunge 36% in worst February since 1959
      Hyundai profit hit after Kona EV recall, but LG Chem seen bearing bulk of costs
    • Skoda plans to cut 2% of admin jobs
      Toyota will stay in Europe's minicar segment while others electrify or leave
      Honda to sell limited batch of Level 3 self-driving cars
      Stellantis waiting for UK support on Vauxhall plant
    • Opel Mokka 2020
      Stellantis battery JV seeks contracts with other automakers
      Sogefi appoints new CEO, virus weighs on 2020 results
      3BIDEN-MAIN_i.jpg
      Biden to press for $37 billion to boost chip output amid shortage
      Continental grille web.jpg
      Continental invests in object recognition startup
    • Toyota will stay in Europe's minicar segment while others electrify or leave
      Mercedes preps debut of EQE EV, a Tesla Model S rival
      Electric-only Volvo C40 to challenge Tesla Model 3
      view gallery
      11 photos
      Volvo C40 Recharge
    • Valeo joins Bosch, GM, others in pledge for carbon neutrality
      GMEVBarra-MAIN_i.jpg
      GM aims to stop selling gasoline vehicles by 2035 in carbon neutrality pledge
      VW will appeal $20M Spanish diesel compensation ruling
      Death of diesel looms as automakers accelerate to electric future
    • UK sales plunge 36% in worst February since 1959
      Spain's February sales fell 38% in 'perfect storm'
      German sales plunge 19% in worst February since 2007
      Italy sales dropped 12% in February but incentives boosted demand from private buyers
    • Toyota names new CEO for Europe
      Audi appoints former Porsche exec as finance chief
      Sogefi appoints new CEO, virus weighs on 2020 results
      Audi's new chief engineer will accelerate EV push
    • Geneva Auto Show
    • Frankfurt Auto Show
    • Paris Auto Show
    • Beijing Auto Show
    • Shanghai Auto Show
  • Features
    • Long Read
    • Interview of the Month
    • Focus on Electrification
    • Focus on Mobility
    • Segment Analysis
    • Latest Launches
    • Supplier Spotlight
    • Europe By The Numbers
    • Apple, Nio, other auto newcomers get creative to avoid Tesla's 'production hell'
      How Amazon, Google are transforming the auto industry
      EV-only future looks closer than ever in Europe
      European car retailing poised for shake-up as 'agency' model gains support
    • Renault CEO bets on 'winning horses' for turnaround
      Nvidia CEO says software will soon define the car, drive profit
      Tavares: Keeping PSA, FCA merger on track an 'incredible' achievement
      Renault CEO outlines ambitious revival plan
    • Opel Mokka 2020
      Stellantis battery JV seeks contracts with other automakers
      VW EVs.jpg
      VW's ID3 electric car stacks up well against Tesla in UBS teardown
      Mercedes preps debut of EQE EV, a Tesla Model S rival
      JLR axed electric Land Rover, Jaguar on MLA platform to focus on better tech
    • Honda to sell limited batch of Level 3 self-driving cars
      VW tests self-driving taxis in Germany ahead of 2025 launch
      Skoda connectivity features need to offer more 'must-have' allure
      Luminar-MAIN_i.jpg
      Who's who in the lidar world
    • EVs make huge gains helped by incentives, tougher CO2 rules
      EVs, surging SUVs to hit Europe's biggest segment
      Wagons hold market share, but costly EV shift looms
      Electrification gains speed in Europe's key compact segment
    • Hyundai counts on Bayon's 'distinctive' design to make small SUV stand out
      Mercedes positions C-Class as sportier S-Class
      Nissan Qashqai gets better handling thanks to new platform
      ARTURA-MAIN_i.jpg
      McLaren embarks on deeper electrified future with Artura
    • How GKN is transforming to gain from e-powertrain shift
      Marelli CEO expects e-powertrains to provide long-term boost
      Veoneer boss expects to reach key milestone this quarter
      How Faurecia aims to become a hydrogen leader
    • Europe sales by model, January: Porsche, Lamborghini, Volvo defy down market; Toyota Yaris No. 1-seller for the month, VW Golf finishes 4th
      Top 10 sellers by market, January: Skoda Octavia finishes No. 1 or No. 2 in eight markets
      Russia sales fall 4% in January as rebound stalls
      CORRECTED: Turkey sales, January: Ford, Kia, Opel, BMW rise
  • Opinion
    • Blogs
    • Commentary
    • Guest columnists
    • Jaguar Land Rover Gerry McGovern
      Gerry McGovern is right man to steer Jaguar reinvention
      A 'genius idea' gets a second chance in Renault's mobility strategy
      Skoda connectivity features need to offer more 'must-have' allure
      Will an all-electric Jaguar be sold off?
    • Understanding the impact of design on marketing, brand and user experience
      Ex-Aston Martin CEO Palmer calls on UK to intensify battery commitment
      Why Apple must target the $230B luxury car market
      Apple car: Who will build it? Magna Steyr possible candidate
  • Photos
    • Photo Galleries
    • Geneva Photo Gallery
    • Beijing Photo Gallery
    • Frankfurt Photo Gallery
    • Paris Photo Gallery
    • Shanghai Photo Gallery
    • view gallery
      11 photos
      Volvo C40 Recharge
      view gallery
      11 photos
      Hyundai Bayon
      view gallery
      9 photos
      Honda HR-V Hybrid
      view gallery
      13 photos
      Mercedes-Benz C-Class (2021)
    • koenigsegg-gemera-front-quarter-passenger-01.jpg
      view gallery
      14 photos
      Koenigsegg Gemera
      view gallery
      21 photos
      Fiat New 500
      view gallery
      11 photos
      Aston Martin V12 Speedster
      view gallery
      13 photos
      Audi A3 Sportback 2020
    • At the Beijing show, sales rebound and EV boom mix with murky outlook
      3BEIJING-MAIN_i.jpg
      Beijing show to highlight competition for local EV makers
      Beijing auto show delayed due to coronavirus
      Maserati will unveil Ghibli hybrid at Beijing show
    • view gallery
      11 photos
      Mercedes-Benz Vision EQS
      view gallery
      11 photos
      Renault Captur
      view gallery
      5 photos
      Mercedes-Benz AMG GLB 53
      view gallery
      10 photos
      Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 Coupe
    • view gallery
      8 photos
      VinFast Lux SA2.0 SUV
      view gallery
      8 photos
      VinFast Lux A2.0 sedan
      view gallery
      9 photos
      Seat Tarraco
      view gallery
      7 photos
      Toyota Corolla station wagon
    • view gallery
      4 photos
      Nio ET Preview
      view gallery
      7 photos
      Infiniti Qs Inspiration concept
      view gallery
      5 photos
      BMW 3-series LWB
      view gallery
      9 photos
      Mini Clubman
  • Podcasts
  • Car Cutaways
  • EVENTS
    • ANE Congress Conversations
    • ANE Shift
    • ANE Rising Stars
    • ANE Eurostars
    • ANE Leading Women
    • Watch Again
      • July 9: EU green deal in the COVID-19 new normal
      • July 16: Assisted or Autonomous Driving
      • July 23: Challenges in Electrification
      • July 30: The Road Ahead for Europe
    • Meet the 2020 winners
    • Watch the 2020 Rising Stars awards again
  • More
    • Publishing Partners
    • Social Media
    • Contact Us
    • Media Kit
    • About Us
    • Capgemini: Securing the industry's future through a radical rethink
    • Capgemini: Succeeding with the automated driving journey through AI
    • Toyota Europe
    • UFI Filters
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Automakers
July 17, 2020 12:37 PM

Germany could allow Level 4 automated driving

Christiaan Hetzner
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print
    Bloomberg

    Waymo, Uber, Tesla, Nvidia and Argo AI (shown) are all working on advanced autonomous architectures.

    FRANKFURT -- Tired of waiting for global regulators to act, the German government is preparing landmark legislation that could commercialize driverless vehicle technology by next summer.

    If passed, it could be the first comprehensive legal framework covering both homologation and road traffic requirements for robotaxis in which the computer controls the vehicle at all times.

    Germany is seizing the initiative having already waited three years for even the most rudimentary autonomous function to be approved by a United Nations standard-setting body, the UNECE, for sale in the European Union.

    The hope is to have the draft approved by Germany’s lower house of parliament before it starts its summer break next year. It is at that point that passing legislation takes a backseat to campaigning for the country’s 2021 general election.

    "The planned new legal framework should create the prerequisites in the current legislative period to allow for the standard operation of autonomous, driverless motorized vehicles on public roads, limited geographically to a defined environment,” the Transportation Ministry said in a statement sent to Automotive News Europe. "Driverless vehicles should be enabled for a wide range of various applications without the need to definitively regulate any one specific use case. This flexibility allows for various forms of mobility needs to be taken into account."

    The draft legislation is currently undergoing interdepartmental revisions, which is why it has not been made public yet. Any proposal would have to be passed by the entire cabinet before being sent to German members of parliament and finally to the upper house that represents the country’s 16 federal states.

    "It goes beyond experimenting with prototypes, it is expressly directed to the commercialization of autonomous transport for people and goods," said Benedikt Wolfers, who is a partner at law firm Posser Spieth Wolfers & Partners.

    An expert on automotive regulations, Wolfers briefed industry executives on the plans earlier this month at an event sponsored by The Autonomous, an initiative formed by Austrian software platform provider TTTech Auto to accelerate advances in the field.

    Berlin had already passed a law in 2017 allowing drivers to shift control of the vehicle to an onboard computer. Global regulators, however, had not agreed on a method for automakers to sell such a feature in key markets such as the European Union until late last month. That is when the UNECE settled on the first, rudimentary Level 3 eyes-off system..

    Normally, the Brussels applies vehicle regulations devised by the Geneva-based UN agency across the EU.

    “As long as there are no EU-wide rules in place that would constitute what is called a harmonized area of European law, member states themselves can push ahead,” attorney Benedikt Wolfers said. “Germany wants to be the first country to draft a such a law.”

    No rule, no problem

    Germany is taking advantage of a legislative loophole in the EU. “If you look for European legislation for vehicles without a driver, there is nothing. Zero,” he told ANE.

    "As long as there are no EU-wide rules in place that would constitute what is called a harmonized area of European law, member states themselves can push ahead -- beyond just testing prototypes or approving pilot programs," he added, "and Germany wants to be the first country to draft a such a law."

    This would cover the most advanced form of Level 4 "mind-off" autonomous driving, in which the vehicle would be able to steer itself in almost any circumstance within tightly defined parameters known as an Operational Design Domain.

    The parameters include everything from a specified geographical area, intelligent transportation infrastructure, weather conditions, traffic and road types. No human safety driver would be seated in the vehicle in the event of a problem, as is the case in robotaxis being tested by U.S. autonomous driving startup Argo AI.

    Instead a "technical supervisor" located in a type of mission control center would resolve problems remotely, should such a Level 4 vehicle, for example, find itself in a situation that exceeds its design specifications.

    Wolfers said that if Germany passes the legislation it would be one of the rare examples of regulation leading rather than lagging technology.

    Few companies researching autonomous vehicles are far enough in their development to launch a driverless vehicle fleet for commercial purposes.

    Alphabet's autonomous vehicle subsidiary, Waymo, was the first and remains the only provider to offer such a service, but it only operates in the U.S. city of Phoenix, Arizona. Rivals such as Uber, Tesla, Nvidia and Argo AI are all working on advanced autonomous architectures.

    Even if the German legislation passes, Wolfers does not expect robotaxi fleets to suddenly launch in the country.

    “Will it happen soon? Probably not, but not due to a lack of regulation,” he said, adding that if and when Brussels introduces its own EU-wide law, Germany could withdraw its legislation.

    ‘Open to any provider’

    Previously, automakers including Volkswagen had complained that existing rules only allow for small pilot programs such as the one it started last year in Hamburg. Only by commercializing robotaxi fleets could such a service become financially viable, VW said. That could soon change.

    "Germany is making a great step signaling both to the European Union as well as the rest of the world the common excuse that regulators are holding up viable business models is no longer valid," said Ricky Hudi, a former executive vice president for electronics development at Audi and chairman on The Autonomous. "This represents a huge opportunity to drive innovation in the industry and it’s not geared just to the German carmakers: it’s open to any provider around the world."

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    Skoda plans to cut 2% of admin jobs
    Recommended for You
    Skoda plans to cut 2% of admin jobs
    Skoda plans to cut 2% of admin jobs
    Porsche considering entry to more sustainable F1 racing, report says
    Porsche considering entry to more sustainable F1 racing, report says
    Hyundai profit hit after Kona EV recall, but LG Chem seen bearing bulk of costs
    Hyundai profit hit after Kona EV recall, but LG Chem seen bearing bulk of costs
    Succeeding with the automated driving journey through AI
    Sponsored Content: Succeeding with the automated driving journey through AI
    Sign up for free newsletters
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    Get Free Newsletters

    Sign up and get the best of Automotive News Europe delivered straight to your email inbox, free of charge. Choose your news – we will deliver.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    SUBSCRIBE TODAY

    Get 24/7 access to in-depth, authoritative coverage of the auto industry from a global team of reporters and editors covering the news that’s vital to your business.

    SUBSCRIBE NOW
    Connect with Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Instagram

    Founded in 1996, Automotive News Europe is the preferred information source for decision-makers and opinion leaders operating in Europe.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit MI  48207-2997
    Tel: +1 877-812-1584

    Email Us

    ISSN 2643-6590 (print)
    ISSN 2643-6604 (online)

     

    Resources
    • About us
    • Contact Us
    • 2020 Media Kit
    • Advertise with Us
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Awards
    • Rising Stars
    • Eurostars
    • Leading Women
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Automotive News Europe
    Copyright © 1996-2021. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • HOME
      • Latest news
      • Automakers
      • Suppliers
      • New Product
      • Environment/Emissions
      • Sales By Market
      • On The Move
      • Auto Shows
        • Geneva Auto Show
        • Frankfurt Auto Show
        • Paris Auto Show
        • Beijing Auto Show
        • Shanghai Auto Show
    • Features
      • Long Read
      • Interview of the Month
      • Focus on Electrification
      • Focus on Mobility
      • Segment Analysis
      • Latest Launches
      • Supplier Spotlight
      • Europe By The Numbers
    • Opinion
      • Blogs
      • Commentary
      • Guest columnists
    • Photos
      • Photo Galleries
      • Geneva Photo Gallery
      • Beijing Photo Gallery
      • Frankfurt Photo Gallery
      • Paris Photo Gallery
      • Shanghai Photo Gallery
    • Podcasts
    • Car Cutaways
    • EVENTS
      • ANE Congress Conversations
        • Watch Again
          • July 9: EU green deal in the COVID-19 new normal
          • July 16: Assisted or Autonomous Driving
          • July 23: Challenges in Electrification
          • July 30: The Road Ahead for Europe
      • ANE Shift
      • ANE Rising Stars
        • Meet the 2020 winners
        • Watch the 2020 Rising Stars awards again
      • ANE Eurostars
      • ANE Leading Women
    • More
      • Publishing Partners
        • Capgemini: Securing the industry's future through a radical rethink
        • Capgemini: Succeeding with the automated driving journey through AI
        • Toyota Europe
        • UFI Filters
      • Social Media
        • Facebook
        • Instagram
        • LinkedIn
        • Twitter
      • Contact Us
      • Media Kit
      • About Us