Level 4/5 autonomous driving will be possible in the next five years, says research

Growing consumer preference for convenience-enhancing technologies and automobiles-as-a-service options helped double the adoption of vehicles with automated driving features in 2016, says Frost & Sullivan’s mobility team. Going forward, large-scale investments from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) will refine the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and cognitive cloud-based technology solutions even further, enabling level 4/5 autonomous driving within the next five years. Retrofitted automated driv
May 9, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
Growing consumer preference for convenience-enhancing technologies and automobiles-as-a-service options helped double the adoption of vehicles with automated driving features in 2016, says 2097 Frost & Sullivan’s mobility team.


Going forward, large-scale investments from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) will refine the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and cognitive cloud-based technology solutions even further, enabling level 4/5 autonomous driving within the next five years. Retrofitted automated driving solutions and deployment in shared mobility (taxi) platforms will experience robust growth.

“With the introduction of automated driving taxis to support shared mobility business models, the commercial entry of level 4 vehicles is expected by as early as 2020,” said mobility senior analyst Anirudh Venkitaraman. “In the European and North American markets, the introduction of level 3 automation by 2018, driven by over-the-air updates from 8534 Tesla, will strengthen the initial take rates for the technology. Pilot offerings from 2125 Audi, 1731 BMW, and Mercedes-Benz will soon follow, taking the product into the premium market.”

The report, Global Autonomous Driving Market Outlook 2017, finds that the global autonomous driving market will be worth US$83 billion by 2025. The study examines the top trends in the automated driving market, including developments like growing usage of driver assistance, new solutions, robot taxis, cognitive cloud computing, and adoption of mechanical light detection and ranging (LiDAR) for perception improvement.

“Concerns surrounding legislation, system reliability issues, and incompatible infrastructure limit the opportunities for OEMs looking at automated driving,” noted Venkitaraman. “Nevertheless, the journey from human-operated to completely autonomous cars is a progression, and pioneering semi-automated vehicles will be an important milestone toward achieving level 5 automated vehicles.”

Location Based Systems

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Printed and flexible electronics in vehicles: major opportunity by 2026
    January 27, 2016
    A new report from IDTechEx Research, Printed and Flexible Electronics in Automotive Applications 2016-2026, indicates that the market for printed and flexible electronics in vehicles is expected to grow to over US$5.5 billion dollars in the next decade, spearheaded by the projected growth of in-mould electronics and OLED technologies. Printed and flexible electronics are beginning to proliferate, with a variety of components and devices coming to market. Several end-user verticals are expected to benefit
    Read More
  • Addison Lee and Oxbotica to implement AV services in London by 2021
    October 23, 2018
    Addison Lee has partnered with self-driving vehicle software company Oxbotica in a bid to bring autonomous ride-sharing services to London by 2021. Addison Lee, a UK private taxi hire firm, says it will also explore opportunities to provide corporate shuttles, airport and campus-based services. Andy Boland, CEO of Addison Lee, says: “By providing ride-sharing services, we can help address congestion, free space used for parking and improve urban air quality through zero-emission vehicles.” The partners
    Read More
  • Smart parking key to sustainable urban mobility
    April 26, 2013
    Smart parking looks like a market poised to take off in the US. It could bring many benefits, not just for parking facility operators and their customers but also for society as a whole. Steven Bayless, senior director, telecommunications and telematics at ITS America, looks at some of the opportunities and challenges involved. Parking is an estimated $24-25 billion industry in the US and although highly fragmented, it is experiencing a growing trend towards consolidation and outsourcing of parking operatio
    Read More
  • MaaS is at the ‘baby steps’ stage – but needs to get up and running soon
    April 16, 2018
    Data sharing between organisations remains a potential problem for Mobility as a Service projects, attendees at February's MaaS Market conference in London were told. Alan Dron listens in on the presentations.
    Read More

Highlighted Content