10. Conclusion

The autonomous vehicle represents an unprecedented technical and societal challenge in the field of mobility. In its most advanced form, it is a highly complex object, requiring major R&D efforts and substantial financial support at both European and national levels.

While the future seems pretty much mapped out for autonomy levels 1 to 3, there are still some uncertainties about level 4, and real doubts about the feasibility of level 5 at an affordable cost. Numerous technical and non-technical challenges remain. These include operating safety, lowering production costs, the necessary changes to infrastructure and road operator professions, preventing cyber-attacks, defining useful services that are socially acceptable to users, etc. These are just some of the major challenges that our researchers and manufacturers will have to face over the next two decades....