From L0 to L5: Straightforward ADAS Terms Needed

Li Auto founder, Li Xiang, has called for media outlets and industry organisations to standardise terminologies in the field of Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving. Li had expressed concerns that current naming and marketing practices are confusing consumers.

He pointed out terms like L2 and L3 are technical jargons difficult for the average user to comprehend, proposing a simplified naming system established by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), which ranges from L0 to L5.

Li also emphasized that these terms should remain straightforward, with no extra or exaggerated description, to prevent misleading claims that could cause confusion. 

“By exercising restraint in marketing while investing in technology, we benefit users, the industry, and companies in the long run,” Li added.

His comments come at a time when concerns are rising over how marketing overplay around autonomous driving technology is contributing to accidents. Some drivers, misled by promotional claims, mistakenly believe their vehicles can drive themselves, leading to high-profile crashes.

One sure recent case involves the much hyped Xiaomi SU7 in which three female students perished after the vehicle operated on Xiaomi’s Navigation on Autopilot (NoA) intelligent driving assistance mode crashed and caught fire trapping all occupants.

Many consumers mistakenly believe their vehicles' L2 systems are capable of L4 or L5 functions due to misleading promotional material. By ensuring that the terminology used in marketing is aligned with the actual capabilities - potentially dangerous misunderstandings can be avoided.

Source: CarNewsChina | Image: Autonomous Vehicle International