What does Level 5 autonomous driving mean?

[MacCarter]

Level 5 autonomous driving refers to full self-driving capability, where no driver intervention is required. The vehicle may not even have traditional driving controls like a steering wheel, accelerator, or brake pedals. Instead, it relies entirely on the vehicle's onboard computer for perception and decision-making to operate the car. This level of automation enables all-weather, all-terrain autonomous driving and can adapt to changes in environmental conditions and geographical locations. The driver can focus on resting or other tasks. In the SAE Levels of Driving Automation published by SAE International (Society of Automotive Engineers), besides Level 5 autonomous driving, there are five other levels. Level 0 represents manual driving, where, according to SAE's definition, the driver is fully responsible for all driving operations, including steering, braking, and acceleration. The vehicle only executes commands, so this level is not considered autonomous driving. Level 1 is driver assistance, where the driver still needs to operate the vehicle, but safety systems like Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) provide assistance. The driver must keep hands on the steering wheel and eyes on the road. Features such as adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and automatic braking in luxury brands like Volvo and Mercedes-Benz fall under Level 1 autonomous driving. Level 2 is partial automation, where the vehicle can simultaneously control acceleration, deceleration, and steering. This means adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping systems can work together. Most automakers have already achieved Level 2 autonomous driving technology. Level 3 is conditional automation, where the vehicle can handle acceleration, deceleration, and steering in specific environments without driver input or monitoring of the surroundings. However, the driver must remain attentive and ready to take over if the system encounters a situation it cannot handle. The Audi A8 is the world's first production car capable of Level 3 autonomous driving on public roads. Level 4 is high automation, where the vehicle can operate without any driver intervention but may have limitations, such as speed restrictions or operating in predefined areas. It typically relies on real-time road data to support functions like automated valet parking, platooning, and obstacle avoidance in real-world scenarios. Autonomous driving demand analysis: The essence of autonomous driving technology is to replace human labor in specific scenarios with artificial intelligence, improving efficiency and reducing labor costs. Its underlying logic is similar to industrial robotics—"machines replacing humans"—and will profoundly impact industries like automotive transportation, logistics, and commercial services. Thus, labor cost savings directly reflect the economic value of autonomous driving technology. All vehicles that do not require human operation fall under the autonomous driving category. Based on scenario openness, driving speed (divided by 20 km/h), and cargo type, autonomous driving applications can be categorized into open vs. closed, high-speed vs. low-speed, and passenger vs. freight dimensions. High-speed, open-scenario autonomous driving is the most technically challenging and has the greatest potential but remains far from commercialization and profitability. In contrast, autonomous driving in restricted environments has lower technical barriers and faster commercialization. Fully mature autonomous driving models are rare, with Tesla being one example. Additionally, the market categorizes driving modes into six levels: Level 0 (manual driving), Level 1 (driver assistance), Level 2 (partial automation), Level 3 (conditional automation), Level 4 (high automation), and Level 5 (full automation). Currently, the highest commercially available level is Level 2, and for safety reasons, human intervention is still required.