Is Tesla Level 3 or Level 4?
2 Answers
Tesla's autonomous driving system is classified as Level 3. The standards for classifying automotive autonomous driving levels mainly include three: 1. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). 2. Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). 3. Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China. Regarding SAE's autonomous driving levels L0-L5: 1. L0 (Full Manual Driving): Represents traditional human driving without any autonomous driving intervention. 2. L1 (Driver Assistance): Capable of controlling either steering (lateral movement) or acceleration/deceleration (longitudinal control). 3. L2 (Partial Automation): Capable of controlling multiple aspects of steering and acceleration/deceleration simultaneously. The system has both longitudinal and lateral automatic control, with more than two functions. Common features include automatic overtaking and automatic merging onto main roads. 4. L3 (Conditional Automation): The vehicle takes over most of the driving, but the driver must remain attentive and take over when the system requests. 5. L4 (High Automation): The vehicle drives completely autonomously without requiring human attention. In extreme scenarios, the system may request human takeover. If no one takes over, the vehicle will take measures such as braking and pulling over. 6. L5 (Full Automation): No human intervention is required under any conditions.
To be honest, I've been driving a Tesla for several years and have always been curious about whether its autonomous driving capability falls under Level 3 or Level 4. Tesla's Autopilot system, primarily the Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature, is currently classified as Level 2, meaning it can automatically accelerate, brake, and steer on highways, but requires me to keep my eyes on the road and hands on the wheel at all times—it's not something I can fully rely on. Tesla claims its goal is to achieve Level 4 or higher, where the car can drive completely autonomously without the owner's intervention. However, under current regulations and real-world testing, it hasn't officially been certified as Level 3, mainly due to safety concerns, such as occasional errors in certain weather conditions. I find it quite convenient in daily use, especially in traffic jams, where it saves a lot of effort, but it still feels like a work in progress—I have to stay alert and can't actually take a nap. The automotive industry is advancing rapidly, so we might see an upgrade in the next few years.
