The BMW 7 Series will lose its Level 3 conditional autonomous driving when the model is updated next month.
The expensive ‘eyes-off’ driving system is said to be replaced with simpler – and more feature-rich – Level 2 semi-autonomous driving technology when the limousine is updated in April 2026, according to Automotive News Europe.
However, Australian buyers won’t be affected, with ‘Personal Pilot Level 3’ not available on the 7 Series as Australia’s current regulatory framework doesn’t yet allow this kind of technology on local roads.
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The report says BMW cited “limited real-world applicability” and high financial investment as the reason for the decision.
Compared to the Level 2 system – which costs approximately €1450 (A$2400) per car – the Level 3 system is around €6000 (A$10,000), due to the requirement of high-performance computers, LiDAR sensors, ongoing fleet monitoring, validation, and safety certifications.
Like Tesla’s ‘Full Self-Driving’ system, the BMW’s Level 2 Personal Pilot is expected to offer hands-off driving on freeways, with urban address-to-address capability to be rolled out in the future.
Full Self-Driving, which is offered by Tesla in Australia, is considered a Level 2+ system and requires you to be looking ahead. Level 3 technology, in contrast, is designed to allow you to take your eyes off the road.
BMW is the latest automaker to refocus efforts on less-advanced autonomous driving technology.
Both Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis – the parent company of 14 car brands, including Alfa Romeo, Jeep and Ram – have also stepped away from Level 3 system development, due to technical challenges, low customer demand, and high costs.
Honda also dropped its Traffic Jam Pilot Level 3 technology, which it briefly offered on the Japanese-market Legend.
MORE: How autonomous is my car? Levels of self-driving explained
