Europe’s L3Pilot research project has just launched in Wolfsburg, Germany and will analyze the “opportunities for using technologies to facilitate mobility in the future with the aim of achieving a breakthrough in the area of automated driving.”
The research consortium is being led by the Volkswagen Group and includes 13 European automakers, a number of suppliers, research institutes and universities, as well as small and mid-sized companies and will look to operate 100 vehicles with 1,000 drivers to test Level 3 and Level 4 autonomous systems in the real world.
Throughout the project, self-driving technology that handles everything from parking and overtaking to driving in city traffic, will be put through its paces. It is ultimately hoped that data from the eleven European countries involved will allow companies to better understand user acceptance, driving and travel behavior of self-driving vehicles and the impact they have on society.
In a statement, project coordinator Aria Etemad said “We are confident that the research initiative L3Pilot will create a broadly based and comprehensive platform for realisation of mobility in the future.
“The strong integration of the entire European automobile industry and the scientific support by experts in the areas of mobility and automated vehicles will drive this initiative forward and make it successful.”
Automakers involved include VW, Audi, BMW, Fiat, Daimler, Ford, Honda, Jaguar Land Rover, Opel, PSA Group, Renault, Toyota and Volvo.
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