Level 1: assisted driving
Level 2: partially automated driving
Level 3: highly automated driving
Level 4: fully automated driving
Level 5: autonomous driving
Self-driving cars
The five levels
of automated driving

The mobility of the future will be shaped by the automation of driving functions. Assistance systems are already in use in various areas – Volkswagen aims to enable fully-automated driving for large numbers of people in the high-volume sector. The crystallisation project being Trinity: the car will be available as of 2026 and will allow highly automated driving in line with level 2+ up to fully automated driving in line with level 4. But what exactly are the five different levels of automated driving? Allow us to explain.
Level 1: assisted driving
Level 2: partially automated driving
Level 3: highly automated driving
At level 3, cars drive themselves to a certain extent: The highly automated car can accelerate, brake and steer automatically. This occurs on certain stretches of the road, for a restricted period and in appropriate traffic situations, but this is the first point at which automated systems take on responsibility for driving in defined situations. So, the driver can relinquish control temporarily, but must be ready to take over again within a matter of seconds at all times if required.