BMW’s Driver Assistance and Autonomous Driving Development department, which will play a pivotal role in the Group’s strategy for the future, will have a new Senior Vice President in the New Year.
Alejandro Vukotich is set to replace Elmar Frickenstein, who has been in charge since May 2016 — when the department was created. Vukotich has nearly 20 years of experience in the areas of active safety, driver assistance and autonomous driving in the German auto sector.
Driverless vehicle technology continues to be a hot topic globally, with many automakers and tech companies working to develop a vehicle fit for the consumer market.
The carmaker’s autonomous driving development department includes around 1,300 specialists from the BMW Group and its key partners, such as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), Intel and Mobileye. According to BMW’s news release, these groups are currently working on “the development of a technology stack for highly and fully automated Level 2, 3, 4 and 5 driving.”
The brand’s BMW iNEXT is expected to be the first model in the lineup to feature a Level 3 system for highly automated driving. It’s anticipated launch will be in 2021.
