These are the cars that let you drive hands-free at the wheel

The historic milestone of Level 3 autonomous driving was created in March 2021 with the Honda Legend. Its “Traffic Jam Pilot” technology was the first system authorized by the Japanese authorities to allow the driver to exercise a secondary activity, although limited to traffic jams and at speeds of up to 50 km/h.

The second manufacturer to reach this level was Mercedes-Benz. Its S-Class and EQS models were approved in Germany in December 2021 and in Nevada (United States) in January 2023, limited to 60 km/h on certain roads.

A subsequent update at the end of 2024 enabled the DRIVE PILOT system to operate in free-flowing traffic at up to 95 km/h on the German motorway network from 2025, making it the fastest Level 3 system in the world.

The third manufacturer to approve a Level 3 system was BMW. Its BMW Personal Pilot L3 technology, available for the BMW 7 Series from spring 2024, enables autonomous driving at up to 60 km/h on German motorways with divided carriageways. This system stands out for being the first to be able to be used in dark conditions thanks to its sophisticated sensors.

Sensors: system key

Beyond level 3 systems, the market has seen a proliferation of level 2+ systems, which allow “hands-free” driving but require the driver to keep their attention on the road. 46 models have been identified with this capability.

GM is the manufacturer offering the most widespread level 2+ technology, called Super Cruise. It is available in 23 models from Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC and Buick. Territorial coverage is extensive, covering more than 640,000 kilometers of roads major in the United States, in addition to being available in the Middle East and South Korea. Super Cruise-equipped vehicles have traveled more than 1.1 billion miles with no reported accidents attributable to the technology.

Ford, with its BlueCruise system, is the only “hands-free” driving technology approved for use in Spain, in sections designated as “Blue Zones” which cover more than 90% of highways and highways. Ford, which was the first in Europe to receive this approval, will expand the system to 16 countries and include it in models such as the Puma, Kuga and Ranger Plug-in Hybrid from spring 2026.

Other manufacturers with similar technologies include Nissan (ProPILOT 2.0), Lucid (DreamDrive), Rivian (Enhanced Highway Assist), and Toyota’s Teammate and Lexus’ Advanced Drive systems.

BMW is the only brand to offer both systems on the market: Level 3 (BMW Personal Pilot L3) and Level 2+ (BMW Highway Assistant), which allow you to take your hands off the wheel up to 130 km/h in models like the 5 Series, X5, X7 and iX.

Despite its progress, Tesla does not have an approved “hands-free” driving systemsince its Autopilot, Autopilot3 and FSD systems require the driver to keep their hands on the steering wheel.

Finally, Chinese brands are skipping the level 2+ step due to local regulations requiring hands on the wheel and are working directly on level 3 and 4 systems, carrying out validation tests with prototypes on the open road.

Level 3: The big jump

These autonomous driving systems depend on a complex network of sensors. The windshield is a key element, as it houses the cameras and sensors which, along with the radar (which measures speed and relative position) and the LiDAR sensor (which accurately measures distance, position and height in 3D), collect information about the environment.

The vehicle’s processors use this information, combining conventional image processing with artificial intelligence methods, to make recognitions, predictions and control decisions regarding acceleration, braking and steering.

As Carglass explains, it is crucial to emphasize that when replacing a windshieldsensors and cameras must be dismantled and installed on the new glass, then recalibrated by qualified specialists. If this operation is not carried out or is carried out incorrectly, the safety systems cannot accurately recognize the environment, which can cause accidents.