Audi become the first automaker to introduce a Level 3 semi-autonomous vehicle and the company’s technical development boss has revealed a Level 4 vehicle won’t be too far behind.
Speaking with Auto News Europe, Peter Mertens said a vehicle with Level 4 autonomous technology could realistic in about five years. He went on to say “We’ve made the first step toward Level 3 conditional autonomy with the A8 and we’re working hard on making the jump to Level 4.”
The number difference might not sound like much but the Society of Automotive Engineers defines Level 4 as “High Automation” and it is just one step away from a fully-autonomous vehicle. Models equipped with this level of technology can drive themselves most of the time and can even deal with situations where a “human driver does not respond appropriately to a request to intervene.”
Besides talking about autonomous technology, Mertens stated a third of the company’s sales will come from plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles by 2025. The eco-friendly push could result in fewer engine options as the board member confirmed “We will thin out our engine-transmission combinations, but entire engine families might also disappear.”
Its remains unclear which engines could be on the chopping block but Mertens asked “Do we really need a V10 and W12 for the next generation of cars?” The V8 engine looks safe, for now, as the company has “a very important group of customers” who want eight-cylinders under the hood.
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