For a long time, autonomous driving seemed like science fiction. Now, it is increasingly becoming a reality. In the next 10 years, driving as we know it will undergo greater changes than in the last 30 years.

Autonomous vehicles promise to make the human driver superfluous. Experts have divided the path to this goal into five successive levels of autonomy: assisted, semiautomated, highly automated, fully automated, and fully autonomous driving. With each passing level, more and more responsibility is taken away from the individual until all vehicle occupants ultimately become passengers, and no driver’s license is needed. Levels one and two are now offered as standard by all car brands. Stages three and four are in the test phase, and automotive OEMs are beginning to prepare for series production of such vehicles. Initial testing is underway for stage five.