BMW’s latest flagship sedan, the G70-generation 7-Series, is set to debut with an SAE Level 3 autonomous driving system, marking a significant milestone in the automaker’s long-promised push toward conditional automation. This development comes through a collaboration with Israeli lidar specialist Innoviz, whose technology is positioned as a critical enabler for hands-free driving under defined conditions.
The partnership has entered a B-sample development phase for a new generation of lidar, building on the initial system destined for the 2024 7-Series. This phase is intended to refine performance, cost, and integration, with BMW’s newly opened Future Mobility Development Center in Sokolov, Czechia, serving as a hub for autonomous driving research. Nicolai Martin, BMW Group’s Senior Vice President of Driving Experience, emphasized the importance of the work, stating, “Lidar is one of the critical technologies underpinning Level 3 or even higher automated functions. Optimizing lidar technologies and costs are the major challenges in order to bring Level 3 highly automated driving into the mainstream. We are very pleased to have Innoviz develop the first B-samples of this new lidar generation and hope that the results of the B-sample phase create a basis for a possible future extension of our collaboration.”
Innoviz’s system is designed to deliver more than basic conditional automation. One key feature under development is a lidar-based Minimal Risk Maneuver (MRM) capability, enabling the vehicle to independently assess and respond to hazardous situations without driver input. Such functions are essential for meeting regulatory and liability requirements, particularly in complex traffic environments.
Omer Keilaf, Innoviz’s co-founder and CEO, explained the operational priorities for Level 3 deployment. “In general, most car makers are very focused on Level 3 for highway use. And when a carmaker wants to fulfill Level 3, the most fundamental question that they need to answer first is what the car’s speed limit will be. The faster the car wants to be able to drive itself, the more time it needs to get to a full stop and to be able to make decisions on things that are further away.”
Keilaf detailed how lidar performance is characterized by resolution, field of view, and frame rate, all of which determine detection accuracy and reaction time. He underscored the importance of redundancy in sensing: cameras and lidar working together to minimize uncertainty. “For example, the carmaker decided that in order to fulfill 80 miles an hour safety window, you need to be able to classify a pedestrian from 150 meters. If the camera sensor can detect at 150 meters, but lidar only detects at 120 meters, they can only rely on one point of detection. Which means that the safe speed at which the automaker can guarantee is lower.”
This layered approach contrasts with camera-only systems such as Tesla’s Autopilot, which rely on human oversight for redundancy in Level 2 operation. Level 3 systems, by definition, shift primary responsibility to the vehicle during designated operational domains, with human intervention required only when the system requests it. Keilaf noted that even with triple redundancy—camera, human, and lidar—current technology remains far from Level 4 or Level 5 autonomy, where no human intervention would be needed.
Industry trends suggest that manufacturers are cautious about pursuing full autonomy. The discontinuation of Argo AI by Ford earlier in the year reflected a broader hesitance to invest heavily in Level 4 or Level 5 capabilities. Instead, the focus remains on refining Level 3 systems, particularly for highway driving, where the operational environment is more predictable and the benefits—reduced driver workload and enhanced comfort—are most tangible.
BMW’s strategy of introducing Level 3 autonomy in its highest-end models mirrors moves by competitors such as Mercedes-Benz. Deploying advanced driver assistance in low-volume, high-price vehicles allows manufacturers to manage costs, gather data, and fine-tune systems before wider rollout. For customers, the appeal lies in combining cutting-edge automation with the luxury and refinement expected from premium German sedans.