Over 80% of Cars Can Now Incorporate Level 2 Autonomous Driving

The lack of a regulatory framework allowing the commercialization of more automated vehicles is hindering the advancement of these systems on Spanish roads and cities. This is the main conclusion of the 3rd edition of the Barometer on Autonomous and Connected Vehicles, published by the Spanish Association of Automobile and Truck Manufacturers (ANFAC).

A report that also highlights that currently, 81% of car models can already incorporate technology for SAE level 2 autonomy. In the case of cars, 81% of the models available on the market are already capable of incorporating this level of automation.

The regulatory framework for autonomous driving, under development by the DGT, is in its final approval phase and could come into force at the beginning of 2025. In this regard, ANFAC calls for its rapid implementation to align legislation with the current technological capabilities of vehicles and allow the deployment of highly automated driving systems that are already in development.

According to José López-Tafall, ANFAC's general director, "technology advances faster than legislation itself. The autonomous and connected vehicle is a highly valuable opportunity for Spain, and we are just one step away from harnessing its full potential."

At the presentation of this third edition of the report, Felipe Jiménez Alonso, deputy director of Research and director of Intelligent Systems at INSIA, stated that "the incorporation of increasingly advanced assistance systems is unstoppable, and their coordinated integration allows the vehicle to have a more complete and robust perception of what is happening around and inside it, enabling it to take on increasingly complex tasks gradually but continuously, which favours user acceptance."

Progress in the implementation of autonomous driving systems has been achieved thanks to the entry into force of the General Safety Regulation (GSR2) since last July 7. This means that all new registrations must have ADAS driving assistance systems such as the advanced emergency braking system (AEB), the emergency lane-keeping system (ELKS), and the intelligent speed assistant (ISA), among others. According to ANFAC, this is how a significant leap and progress have been achieved with the systems incorporated as standard in the current offer, with the clear objective of increasing the safety of passengers and pedestrians.

Regarding the potential level of autonomy in the market, the results show that the car and bus sectors are leading the process, with a potential autonomy level of 3.1 out of 5 and 66.6% and 72.9% respectively of vehicles that could reach a partial automation level (SAE 2 or 3) if conditions were optimal. In light commercial vehicles, the results are slightly more modest, with a score of 2.8 out of 5 and 65.6% of vehicles that could offer SAE 2 or SAE 3. It is noteworthy that, for both cars and commercial vehicles, more than 30% of the commercial offer could reach a very advanced potential automation state (SAE 4 or 5), as there are already brands capable of doing so.

In industrial vehicles, automation is in a less advanced state in terms of potential SAE level compared to light vehicles and buses. The potential SAE level is 2.5 out of 5 for industrial vehicles. It is noteworthy that, compared to the previous barometer, industrial vehicles have improved their automation potential, with SAE 2 and 3 predominating at 35.8%, compared to SAE 0 and 1 at 30.5%, tipping the balance in favour of automation.

The real level of autonomy for cars is predominantly SAE 2 (81% of models), while the maximum available level is SAE 3, with 18% of models capable of incorporating it. Both levels of automation have improved compared to the figures recorded the previous year. In the top 10 functionalities, the tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) stands out in the first places (incorporated in all models, as it has been mandatory since November 2014), the advanced emergency braking system (AEB) (98.5% of vehicles), and the lane departure warning system (LDW) (98.2%). Other functionalities are in a high integration process, being present in more than 75% of models.

Most light commercial vehicles are available under an SAE 2 autonomy level (57% of models), and the maximum available level in the offer is SAE 3, although it is only available for 2% of models. The most implemented functionalities are the advanced emergency braking system (AEB) (98.1%) and the tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) (90.7%) and the lane departure warning system (88.9%) (LDW). The availability of functionalities is somewhat lower than in the case of cars.

In industrial vehicles, most models on the market (71%) can be purchased with an SAE 2 autonomy level, and the maximum level offered is SAE 3, although only available in 2% of models. All of them already incorporate among their functionalities the lane departure warning system (LDW) and the advanced emergency braking system (AEB). The next most used are the pedestrian and cyclist collision warning (in 100% of models), and the tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) (100%).

The most offered buses in Spain are available under an SAE 1 and 2 level (68% and 39%, respectively), being the only type of vehicle that offers SAE 4 as the maximum level, available in 3% of models. The most implemented functionalities in buses are the tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), followed by the reverse gear detector (98.3%) and the blind spot warning system (98.3%).