Stellantis Doesn’t Think You Want Autonomous Car Features

Stellantis, parent company of Dodge, Ram, Jeep, and Chrysler, believes consumers don’t want autonomous car features. More specifically, it is walking back plans to forge into Level 3 autonomous driving technologies, saying the market for that kind of tech is limited.

In the meantime, Honda is doubling down on autonomous tech.

In case you’re not sure, SAE Level 3 driving is when the vehicle will drive without assistance in limited use scenarios, mostly on the highway. What you might already have in your vehicle in the way of adaptive cruise control and lane centering features would classify as Level 2.

Many automakers have been pushing into Level 3, like Tesla and GM, preaching that it’s what consumers want. But Stellantis believes it’s what a small pool of consumers want, mostly those buying high-end luxury cars.

This means STLA AutoDrive 1.0, a Level 3 autonomous drive feature which is supposed to handle dense urban travel, is being delayed, reports The Detroit News.

Instead, the automaker is apparently going to monitor market demand, then offer the feature once it warms to such technologies. From the sound of things, STLA AutoDrive isn’t going to be further developed during that time, but instead will be mothballed.

The big debate is whether Stellantis is right or if it will just fall woefully behind competitors on another key development in the auto industry. After all, despite weakening demand for EVs, some still believe Stellantis should’ve jumped into making electric cars much sooner.

Stellantis is reportedly pouring resources into better-functioning Level 2 autonomous features in certain models. Cost is one factor that’s likely driving this decision as it’s expensive to be on the bleeding edge of technology.

The future of autonomous driving tech in the auto industry at large is still quite uncertain. It’s possible Stellantis’ move will be prodigious, but it could also end up costing the automaker big in the long run.

Image via Stellantis

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