Speaking in a recent interview, Lexus CEO Koji Sato said a new production car with Level 2 self-driving tech on board would emerge later in the year and offer upgradability to higher levels.
Having an SAE Level 2 self-driving system means you can temporarily take your hands off the steering wheel and let the car keep the current lane, keep safe distances from other cars, maintain the optimum speed, and change lanes when necessary. You still need to monitor the situation closely and be ready to take over control in any challenging situations that may occur. However, as we said above, the company pledges to make the car upgradeable to higher autonomy levels, even via simple OTA updates.
Sato did not mention just which Lexus was going to be the first to take advantage of the high-tech paid option. The company’s latest premiere was dedicated to the LF-30 All-Electric Concept (see video).