The Audi A8 will become the first vehicle to be offered with a Level 3 semi-autonomous driving system but the company has even greater ambitions in the future.
Speaking to Auto News Europe, Audi research and development boss Peter Mertens said he believes the four-ringed brand will become the first automaker to launch a self-driving vehicle. As he explained, “I’m confident that nobody can jump ahead of us. We have the only car right now in the homologation process.”
Audi definitely has a leg up on the competition but its innovative Traffic Jam Pilot system – which allows drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel and focus on other tasks – still needs to get approval from regulators.
As a result, Mertens said “I, alone, am not going to give a date [for when that process will be finalized], because it’s not in our hands. I am not blaming anybody. We’re doing our job and they are doing theirs. We need to sort it out together.”
The regulatory process could be a bit of a mess as Mertens expects the company will have to do a staggered roll out of the Traffic Jam Pilot system in countries that allow it. This means customers in Germany or the United States could be able to use the system months or years ahead of people in other countries.
The feature won’t be available at launch and Mertens declined to reveal if it will be activated on models purchased before the system becomes legal.
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