{"id":1666659,"date":"2026-02-26T20:25:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T01:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/?p=1666659"},"modified":"2026-02-26T20:25:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T01:25:00","slug":"automakers-push-toward-eyes-off-driving-despite-mounting-doubts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/automakers-push-toward-eyes-off-driving-despite-mounting-doubts\/1666659\/","title":{"rendered":"Automakers Push Toward “Eyes-Off” Driving Despite Mounting Doubts"},"content":{"rendered":"

Automakers Push Toward “Eyes-Off” Driving Despite Mounting Doubts<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Global automakers are zeroing in on a controversial waypoint in the autonomy race: \u201ceyes-off\u201d driving, known in the industry as Level 3, according to a new report by\u00a0Reuters<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The idea is simple but provocative \u2014 motorists could look away to send a message or work on a laptop until the vehicle signals them to retake control.<\/p>\n

After years spent refining hands-on driver aids that manage steering and speed, companies see Level 3 as a potential bridge between today\u2019s supervised systems and tomorrow\u2019s fully driverless cars. It could also help justify the billions already sunk into automation. \u201cWe can start saving them time immediately, and do it in a very affordable way,\u201d said Doug Field of Ford Motor, which aims to roll out eyes-off capability on lower-cost EVs in 2028.<\/p>\n

Yet enthusiasm is far from universal. Some executives question whether temporarily shifting responsibility between human and machine is workable \u2014 or safe. Others doubt buyers will pay enough to cover development costs that consultants at McKinsey & Company estimate at up to $1.5 billion for highway-capable Level 3 systems.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Reuters reports<\/a> that a decade after bold predictions that autonomous cars would be everywhere, most vehicles \u2014 including \u201cFull Self-Driving\u201d from Tesla \u2014 remain Level 2, requiring constant attention. Besides Ford, General Motors and Honda Motor have outlined Level 3 ambitions.<\/p>\n

But pullbacks are mounting. Mercedes-Benz, the only brand to launch Level 3 in the U.S., paused the program amid limited demand tied to speed and geographic restrictions. Stellantis has shelved its effort. Former Waymo CEO John Krafcik said attempts so far suggest \u201cthe juice isn\u2019t worth the squeeze.\u201d<\/p>\n

Legal exposure adds another layer of risk. Analysts say eyes-off capability increases the likelihood that manufacturers \u2014 not drivers \u2014 would bear responsibility in a crash, an issue scholars warn could stall deployment without clearer regulation.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, competition from China is intensifying. Automakers such as BYD and Leapmotor bundle advanced driver-assistance features into sticker prices, raising the prospect of a pricing clash if Western consumers resist subscription fees. As one industry strategist put it, \u201cThis is a war of global business models.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Tyler Durden<\/a><\/span>
\nThu, 02\/26\/2026 – 15:25<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200bhttps:\/\/www.zerohedge.com\/markets\/automakers-push-toward-eyes-driving-despite-mounting-doubts<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Automakers Push Toward “Eyes-Off” Driving Despite Mounting Doubts Global automakers are zeroing in on a controversial waypoint in the autonomy race: \u201ceyes-off\u201d driving, known in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":1666660,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1666659","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","wpcat-1-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1666659","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1666659"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1666659\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1666660"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1666659"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1666659"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1666659"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}