BMW Highway Assistant Surpasses 200 Million Kilometers of Hands-Free Driving
BMW has announced that customers have driven over 200 million kilometers hands-free using the BMW Highway Assistant, marking a significant milestone for the German automaker's advanced driver assistance technology. The system is now in daily use across multiple model ranges, including the 5 Series, 7 Series, iX, X5, X6, X7, XM, and the all-new BMW iX3.
The BMW Highway Assistant enables hands-free driving on highways at speeds of up to 130 km/h, taking over both longitudinal and lateral control while supporting automated lane changes that can be confirmed with a simple glance. The milestone underscores the growing trust and adoption of Level 2 automated driving technology among BMW customers worldwide.
"The symbiotic interplay between driver and driver assistance during hands-free driving with our Highway Assistant, and the underlying safety concept, are unique in the industry," said Dr. Mihiar Ayoubi, Senior Vice President Driving Experience Development at BMW. "Over 200 million kilometers of hands-free highway driving in real-world customer use demonstrate just how reliable and relevant this system is in everyday life."
With the latest generation of BMW driver assistance systems, the availability of the Highway Assistant has been significantly expanded across Europe. While the previous generation was limited primarily to Germany, the USA, and Canada, the new system now supports hands-free driving in over 20 European countries. The new BMW iX3, along with upcoming models such as the BMW i3 and the next-generation BMW 7 Series, offer hands-free assisted driving on suitable routes across borders thanks to DCAS approval under UN Regulation No. 171.
Countries where the system is already available include Germany, Austria, Italy, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, with the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, and Portugal set to follow shortly. Availability in Northern, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe is planned for a later date.
The Highway Assistant now also provides support from motorway entrance to exit — an "entry-2-exit" capability — when navigation is active using BMW Maps. This represents a significant improvement over the previous generation, which required the driver to re-engage the system after certain sections of the journey.
Comprehensive Safety Architecture
Hands-free assisted driving with the BMW Highway Assistant is built on a comprehensive safety concept that includes redundant systems for lane detection and vehicle positioning. The system uses a combination of cameras and high-resolution maps to continuously monitor the vehicle's position within the lane. A dedicated safety chip on the ADAS computer constantly verifies that all systems are functioning correctly.
A driver monitoring camera ensures the driver remains alert and ready to take over control at all times by analyzing the driver's line of sight, eye status, and head movements. The system is designed to restrict hands-free driving exclusively to suitable conditions, and it prompts the driver to place their hands back on the steering wheel when approaching exits or when conditions change.
For the new generation of vehicles starting with the BMW iX3, the Motorway Assistant has been further enhanced with BMW Symbiotic Drive technology. This innovation enables seamless interaction between driver assistance systems and human driving behavior. When driver assistance is activated, the driver can accelerate, steer, and brake as required without immediately triggering a deactivation of longitudinal and lateral guidance. The intuitive operating logic and clear displays in the BMW Panoramic iDrive ensure that assisted driving remains transparent and controllable at all times.
The milestone of 200 million kilometers positions BMW as a leader in real-world deployment of hands-free driving technology, demonstrating that advanced driver assistance systems are moving from novelty to everyday necessity for modern motorists.
Image Source: BMW Group
