Rob Ludacer
BMW plans to release a fully self-driving car in 2021.
The German automaker has always operated on a 2021 timeline to launch its self-driving car tech. However, on Thursday, the company said for the first time that it will have a Level 5 autonomous car ready at that point. Level 5 autonomy means the vehicle is capable of handling any driving situation in any area without human intervention.
Most automakers are planning to release Level 4 self-driving cars in the next 5 years, which means they are driverless but can only operate in select areas.
Last October, BMW put together a line of futuristic concept vehicles to explore what the next century of driving could look like. The line consists of driverless concept cars and even a futuristic motorcycle.
Scroll down for a closer look: