Suggestion: Autonomous Driving Mode

[ID_ENG]

TBH I did not read every post in this thread so forgive me if it was mentioned..
In one of the recent CES videos, a SM Engineer mentioned level 2 driver assist or something along those lines. The key thing being Level 2.

Quick Google search and seems like it'll have something akin to Cadillac's Super Cruise.

Which to me sounds like a good option for those long road trips.

 

[R1TVT]

Good overview of different drive types here:

The 6 Levels of Vehicle Autonomy Explained | Synopsys Automotive

Discover the 6 levels of vehicle autonomy, from manual to fully autonomous driving. Understand SAE's classification and advancements in driver assistance technology.

www.synopsys.com

from the same article:

Level 3 (Conditional Driving Automation)​

The jump from Level 2 to Level 3 is substantial from a technological perspective, but subtle if not negligible from a human perspective.

Level 3 vehicles have “environmental detection” capabilities and can make informed decisions for themselves, such as accelerating past a slow-moving vehicle. But―they still require human override. The driver must remain alert and ready to take control if the system is unable to execute the task.

Almost two years ago, Audi (Volkswagen) announced that the next generation of the A8―their flagship sedan―would be the world’s first production Level 3 vehicle. And they delivered. The 2019 Audi A8L arrives in commercial dealerships this Fall. It features Traffic Jam Pilot, which combines a lidar scanner with advanced sensor fusion and processing power (plus built-in redundancies should a component fail).

However, while Audi was developing their marvel of engineering, the regulatory process in the U.S. shifted from federal guidance to state-by-state mandates for autonomous vehicles. So for the time being, the A8L is still classified as a Level 2 vehicle in the United States and will ship without key hardware and software required to achieve Level 3 functionality. In Europe, however, Audi will roll out the full Level 3 A8L with Traffic Jam Pilot (in Germany first).

 

[Moates442]

Volvo recently got this right with their EX90, where they said something to the effect of "This thing has all the hardware it needs for L4/L5 autonomy whenever the software is ready." That's what I'd like to see from Scout. It creates a lot of brand trust if they know the tech is changing and they at least take affirmative steps to preserve that value for folks even before the tech is available.

I agree. I think Volvo is very smart to do it that way.

 

[Moates442]

Good overview of different drive types here:

The 6 Levels of Vehicle Autonomy Explained | Synopsys Automotive

Discover the 6 levels of vehicle autonomy, from manual to fully autonomous driving. Understand SAE's classification and advancements in driver assistance technology.

www.synopsys.com

from the same article:

Level 3 (Conditional Driving Automation)​

The jump from Level 2 to Level 3 is substantial from a technological perspective, but subtle if not negligible from a human perspective.

Level 3 vehicles have “environmental detection” capabilities and can make informed decisions for themselves, such as accelerating past a slow-moving vehicle. But―they still require human override. The driver must remain alert and ready to take control if the system is unable to execute the task.

Almost two years ago, Audi (Volkswagen) announced that the next generation of the A8―their flagship sedan―would be the world’s first production Level 3 vehicle. And they delivered. The 2019 Audi A8L arrives in commercial dealerships this Fall. It features Traffic Jam Pilot, which combines a lidar scanner with advanced sensor fusion and processing power (plus built-in redundancies should a component fail).

However, while Audi was developing their marvel of engineering, the regulatory process in the U.S. shifted from federal guidance to state-by-state mandates for autonomous vehicles. So for the time being, the A8L is still classified as a Level 2 vehicle in the United States and will ship without key hardware and software required to achieve Level 3 functionality. In Europe, however, Audi will roll out the full Level 3 A8L with Traffic Jam Pilot (in Germany first).

I believe Merc faced the same problem, and so their level 3 system is only available in California and Nevada so far.