Jeep’s parent company announces ‘hands free, eyes off’ driving feature

Stellantis, the parent company of Jeep, Dodge, and Ram, announced its first “hands free, eyes off” partial autonomous driving feature. The company is pitching this new feature, which is called STLA AutoDrive, as for drivers who want to reclaim “valuable time” while stuck in stop-and-go traffic.

But that said, Stellantis isn’t launching the feature quite yet, citing market and regulatory hurdles. And the company wouldn’t say which models will be the first to get the new partially autonomous features.

“The technology is fully developed and ready for deployment,” company spokesperson Dan Reid said in an email. “However, the current market for Level 3 autonomous driving is very limited. We have made the strategic decision not to launch it at this time. Once the market opens up and becomes more receptive, we will move forward with introducing this advanced technology.”

As defined by the Society for Automotive Engineers (SAE), Level 3 describes highly automated driving, where the driver still needs to be able to take over control of the vehicle upon request but can also take their eyes off the road in certain situations. Some experts have argued that L3 systems can be dangerous given the need for drivers to stay attentive despite the vehicle performing most of the driving tasks.

That hasn’t stopped most major automakers from pursuing Level 3 driving, describing it as a helpful technology in slow speed scenarios, like stop-and-go traffic. STLA AutoDrive will cover a range of driver assist situations, from hands-on Level 2 driving, to hands-off, eyes-off Level 3+, the company said.

Stellantis said its Level 3+ system can be engaged “even at night and in challenging weather conditions.” But there will be limitations. For example, drivers can only take their eyes off the road and hands off the steering wheel at speeds of less than 60 km/h (37 mph). Stellantis says the system is designed to evolve as the technology improves, anticipating that it will eventually be functional at speeds of up to 95 km/h (59 mph) and while off-roading.

Stellantis describes STLA AutoDrive as being powered by “an advanced suite of sensors” that can clean themselves when conditions get dirty. These include cameras, radar, and ultrasonic sensors that are also used for features like blind-spot detection, lane keep assistance, and parking assistance.

Stellantis is the latest automaker to jump on the Level 3 bandwagon. Others include Mercedes-Benz, Ford, GM, Volvo, Honda, and others. But few of these features are available in cars you can buy today, hamstrung by local rules and a sense of caution by the automaker.

Like other automakers, Stellantis sees partial automation more as a convenience feature than explicitly about safety. To be sure, drivers are adept at skirting the rules that govern driver-assist systems, according to a recent study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. And when a car is traveling at much higher speeds than before, all it takes is a split second for something to go wrong.

There have been studies that show that the handoff between an automated system and a human driver can be especially fraught. When people are disconnected from driving for a long period of time, they may overreact when suddenly taking control in an emergency situation. They may overcorrect steering, brake too hard, or be unable to respond correctly because they haven’t been paying attention. Those actions can create a domino effect that has the potential to be dangerous — and perhaps even fatal.

Fully autonomous companies, like Waymo, have said they think Level 3 is too dangerous, preferring to work exclusively on Level 4 technology that cuts the driver completely out of the equation. But most automakers are washing their hands of full autonomy, preferring the near-term revenues associated with selling optional Level 2 and 3 features to their vehicle owners.