Sensors, cameras and artificial intelligence steer autonomous vehicles rather than a driver behind the wheel and if it’s up to the city of Berlin’s top transportation official, driverless vehicles will be on the streets of the traffic-clogged capital as soon as possible.

Germany’s TÜV safety board, which has now completed its first test drives with a self-driving minibus, has concluded that a fully autonomous vehicle can handle city traffic safely and reliably, though malfunctions cannot be ruled out.

Such autonomous vehicles, which operate without a driver, should be deployed in Berlin as soon as possible, said Transport Senator Ute Bonde, who spoke of a “game-changer.” “And I believe we are not talking about a long-term perspective here, but a short-term one.”

However, there isn’t really a concrete timetable. So far, autonomous driving in Germany has mainly been tested in pilot projects. Experts in Germany consider the approval procedures and technical requirements to be complex.

No fully autonomous vehicles in Germany – yet

There are no Level 4 autonomous vehicles approved for public road traffic in Germany. Legally, however, it is possible. Level 4 refers to vehicles that can drive autonomously in defined areas under specific conditions, for example without any intervention from a driver at the wheel.

By way of comparison: the situation is different with Level 2 which is assisted driving. This has long been a reality in Germany in cars equipped with features such as overtaking and lane-line assistants and other driver aids.