First Lexus with self-driving system arrives in 2020

SourceLexus President Koji Sato has revealed that the automaker will offer its first self-

Lexus President Koji Sato has revealed that the automaker will offer its first self-driving system in 2020.

Speaking with Automotive News (subscription required) in an interview published last week, Sato said the system will offer hands-off capability but drivers will still need to monitor the road and take over in case of an emergency.

This means the system will rank at Level 2 on the SAE scale for self-driving capability. The end goal is a Level 5 car, i.e. one that can handle all situations on its own and thus doesn't require a driver behind the wheel.

Lexus will offer more advanced self-driving systems via over-the-air updates as they become available, and as the regulations and societal acceptance surrounding the technology matures, Sato said. He also said Lexus will eventually offer the technology across its full range.


Koji Sato

Lexus is expected to introduce its first self-driving system in the LS flagship sedan. The automaker may have even previewed it with the LS+ concept car unveiled in 2017. The concept featured a self-driving system for highways, aptly named the Highway Teammate.

Lexus said at the time that Highway Teammate could handle almost all aspects of highway driving from the on-ramp to the exit, such as merging into highway traffic, lane keeping, speed adjustments, lane changes, overtaking and maintaining vehicle-to-vehicle distance.

Other automakers offer similar systems, with Cadillac's Super Cruise the most advanced so far. However, Cadillac's system only works on highways where there is sufficient map data available.

Lexus' parent company, Toyota, is working on its own self-driving system. It will demonstrate some of the technology this summer during the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo and in 2021 it will add some self-driving Sienna minivans to Uber's own fleet of self-driving cars.

 

Instead of wasting money and resources on this useless tech they could've instead invested it into developing the LS to be a proper flagship that competes with other tier one flagships from Audi, MB and BMW.

 

it's a good but small step... way to go lexus!

 

Welcome to 2014, Lexus lol

 

I have to agree with Och.

 

But without this tech it cant compete with those cars...which all have this tech and have for years.

 

Better late than never, but they are followers, not leaders. Remember when Lexus used to be innovative and first to market with the latest gadgets? What happened in the past 10+ years? At least we still make reliable vehicles.

 

This will be Level 2 autonomous. Who else has level 2?

 

Don't give a crap about all this self driving tech on any flagship, I've tried the self-parking feature in my 08 LS when new and never bother to use it again ...

 

Pretty much. There are plenty of people that would pick an otherwise superior car that doesn't have any of this self driving garbage over a lesser car that has. The tech is currently utterly useless and its going to be many decades until it might start becoming relevant.

 

parking is one thing, the experience of driving hundreds of miles on boring highways is enormously improved with this kind of tech. 'Snow birds' driving from the NE U.S. to florida will love it

 

Yup, this and everyday highway commutes. I look forward to see how toyotas tech matures.

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/cogniti.../#404261c35df9

 

found this related website... great domain name

https://www.carsthatdrivethemselves.com/

seems mercedes has had their drive pilot around since at least 2016.

 

I'm waiting for this headline: Sleeping Lexus driver on autopilot rear ends a Tesla with a sleeping driver. The Lexus was promptly rear ended by a Tesla who's driver was also sleeping.