In the United States, only Level 2 semi-automated cars are approved so far. Tesla and Mercedes now offer full Level 2 semi-automated cars with driver assist. Tesla’s price does not include the Level 2 option; however, if customers want cars with semi-automated features, Tesla offers the option to add full level-2 driver-assist software for an additional $12,900. Mercedes Benz has the Level-2 features built into their S-Class and EQS; if customers do not want the Level 2 features, they would have to either custom build their car, or choose different models. Mercedes recently received permission to use Level 3 self-driving software in Germany. Level 3 may be approved in the United States by 2023; perhaps that is the reason why Tesla did not have new models in 2022 so that they can introduce new cars with Level 3 in 2023. More automakers plan to deliver hands-free driver-assist technology as part of their Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) offerings and the global ADAS market is expected to reach $74.9 billion by 2030.
This week we inquired at Tesla if purchasing Level 2 autonomous cars was appropriate for teenagers; they advised us that their $12,900 self-driving software is probably more than a teenager could handle. If the older and younger demographics do not have the patience for Level 2, we are not sure who will have the patience for Levels 3 – 6.