L3Pilot · Project

Europe's Largest Road Test of Self-Driving Cars Across 11 Countries

transportPilotedTRL 7

Imagine handing the steering wheel to your car on a highway and it just drives — changing lanes, overtaking trucks, even parking itself. That's what 40 companies and universities across Europe tested with 100 cars and 1000 real drivers in 11 countries. They put self-driving features through their paces in everyday traffic, from city intersections to motorways, to figure out what actually works, what scares people, and what needs fixing before these cars hit the market. They also wrote a rulebook — a Code of Practice — so the whole industry knows how to test and develop these systems properly.

By the numbers

100

vehicles used in piloting

1,000

test drivers participated

European countries tested in

consortium partners

countries represented in consortium

major showcase events

project deliverables produced

62%

industry partner ratio

The business problem

What needed solving

The European automotive industry needs to validate self-driving technology before committing to mass production, but testing autonomous vehicles at scale across different countries, road conditions, and regulatory environments is enormously expensive and complex for any single company. Without shared testing standards and real-world performance data from diverse driving scenarios, automakers risk building systems that fail in conditions they never tested.

The solution

What was built

A standardised Europe-wide piloting environment for automated driving, tested across 100 vehicles with 1000 drivers in 11 countries. Concrete outputs include a Code of Practice for developing AD functions, a testing methodology adapted from FESTA, evaluation data on user acceptance and traffic impact, and a shareable dataset available to third parties outside the consortium. The project produced 21 deliverables and held 4 major showcase events.

Audience

Who needs this

Automotive OEMs developing SAE Level 3+ driving featuresTier-1 suppliers building ADAS sensors and softwareMotor insurance companies pricing autonomous vehicle policiesUrban mobility and fleet management companiesRegulatory bodies and type-approval organizations for autonomous vehicles

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Automotive OEMs & Tier-1 Suppliers

enterprise

Target: Car manufacturers and component suppliers developing ADAS and autonomous driving features

If you are an automotive manufacturer racing to bring self-driving features to market — this project tested SAE Level 3 and Level 4 automated driving functions across 11 European countries with 100 vehicles and 1000 test drivers. The resulting Code of Practice and FESTA-based testing methodology give you a proven blueprint for validating your own systems without reinventing the testing process. The user acceptance and traffic impact data help you understand what real drivers actually want before you commit to expensive production decisions.

Insurance & Risk Assessment

enterprise

Target: Motor insurance companies and actuarial firms needing autonomous vehicle risk data

If you are an insurance company trying to price policies for semi-autonomous vehicles — this project generated real-world driving data from 1000 test drivers across 11 countries covering functions from parking to overtaking to urban intersection driving. The safety evaluation and traffic impact analysis provide the kind of empirical evidence you need to build actuarial models for vehicles with Level 3 automation. Access to this dataset could fundamentally change how you assess risk for the next generation of cars.

Fleet Management & Mobility Services

mid-size

Target: Commercial fleet operators and mobility-as-a-service providers

If you are a fleet operator looking to reduce driver fatigue and accident costs — this project piloted automated driving functions including highway driving, overtaking, and parking with real users in real traffic. The driving and travel behaviour data from 1000 test drivers tells you exactly how automation changes driver performance and safety outcomes. The project also explored new service concepts for inclusive mobility, directly relevant to planning your future autonomous fleet strategy.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to access the L3Pilot testing data and Code of Practice?

The project stated that collected data will be made available for third parties outside the consortium for further use. Pricing and licensing terms are not specified in the available project data. Contact the coordinator through SciTransfer for access conditions.

Can these automated driving functions scale to mass production vehicles?

The project tested SAE Level 3 functions across 100 vehicles in 11 European countries with 1000 test drivers, covering a comprehensive range from parking to overtaking to urban intersections. This large-scale piloting demonstrates readiness beyond prototype stage. However, the gap between piloted testing and series production deployment would need to be assessed per function.

Who owns the IP from L3Pilot, and can I license the results?

Volkswagen AG coordinated the project with 40 consortium partners across 12 countries. IP ownership is governed by the consortium agreement. The project explicitly committed to making data available to third parties, suggesting an openness to external collaboration.

Does the Code of Practice meet current EU regulations for autonomous vehicles?

The Code of Practice was designed as a comprehensive guideline with best practices for developing automated driving functions. It builds on the adapted FESTA methodology for testing automated driving. Regulatory alignment with newer EU frameworks (e.g., UNECE regulations adopted after the project ended in 2021) would need to be verified.

How long would it take to integrate L3Pilot findings into our development process?

The project ran from 2017 to 2021 and produced 21 deliverables including the Code of Practice and testing methodology. These are ready-to-use reference documents. Integration timeline depends on your current development stage, but the standardised testing approach was specifically designed to be adoptable across the European automotive sector.

What driving scenarios were actually tested?

The tested functions cover parking, overtaking, highway driving, and urban intersection driving at SAE Level 3, with additional Level 4 assessments. Testing occurred in real traffic across 11 European countries with variable conditions, making this the first project to demonstrate such a comprehensive menu of automated driving functions.

Is post-project support available from the consortium?

The project closed in October 2021 but the consortium included 25 industry partners and Volkswagen AG as coordinator. Based on available project data, four major showcase events were held during the project. Ongoing support would depend on individual partner availability — SciTransfer can facilitate introductions.

Consortium

Who built it

The L3Pilot consortium is exceptionally strong for business engagement, with 40 partners across 12 countries and a 62% industry ratio — 25 industry players including coordinator Volkswagen AG, one of the world's largest automakers. Only 3 SMEs participated, reflecting that this is a big-player domain. The consortium also includes 6 universities and 6 research organizations providing scientific rigour. Countries span the major European automotive markets (Germany, France, Italy, Sweden, Netherlands, Finland, and others). For a business looking to enter the autonomous driving space, this consortium represents direct access to the companies and researchers shaping Europe's self-driving future.

VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFTCoordinator · DE
AUTOLIV DEVELOPMENT ABparticipant · SE
EUROPEAN CENTER FOR INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES GMBHparticipant · DE
RENAULT SASparticipant · FR
VOLVO PERSONVAGNAR ABparticipant · SE
FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DE L'AUTOMOBILEparticipant · FR
CENTRO RICERCHE FIAT SCPAparticipant · IT
NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK TNOparticipant · NL
TOYOTA MOTOR EUROPE NVparticipant · BE
MERCEDES-BENZ AGparticipant · DE
RHEINISCH-WESTFAELISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE AACHENparticipant · DE
TEKNOLOGIAN TUTKIMUSKESKUS VTT OYparticipant · FI
FORD-WERKE GMBHparticipant · DE
HONDA R&D EUROPE (DEUTSCHLAND) GMBHparticipant · DE
MAGNA ELECTRONICS SWEDEN ABparticipant · SE
UNIVERSITY OF LEEDSparticipant · UK
MERCEDES-BENZ GROUP AGparticipant · DE
SAMFUNNS-OG NAERINGSLIVSFORSKNING ASparticipant · NO
WIVW WUERZBURGER INSTITUT FUR VERKEHRSWISSENSCHAFTEN GMBHparticipant · DE
DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM FUR LUFT - UND RAUMFAHRT EVparticipant · DE
AUDI AKTIENGESELLSCHAFTparticipant · DE
JAGUAR LAND ROVER LIMITEDparticipant · UK
OPEL AUTOMOBILE GMBHparticipant · DE
STELLANTIS AUTO SASparticipant · FR
DIENST WEGVERKEER (RDW)participant · NL
UNIVERSITY OF WARWICKparticipant · UK
SCHWEIZERISCHE RUCKVERSICHERUNGS-GESELLSCHAFT AGparticipant · CH
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI GENOVAparticipant · IT
APTIV SERVICES DEUTSCHLAND GMBHparticipant · DE
FKA GMBHthirdparty · DE
EREVNITIKO PANEPISTIMIAKO INSTITOUTO SYSTIMATON EPIKOINONION KAI YPOLOGISTONparticipant · EL
BUNDESANSTALT FUER STRASSEN-UND VERKEHRSWESENparticipant · DE
UNIVERSITY OF SURREYparticipant · UK
FEV EUROPE GMBHparticipant · DE
BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFTparticipant · DE
CHALMERS TEKNISKA HOGSKOLA ABparticipant · SE

How to reach the team

Volkswagen AG (Germany) coordinated this project. SciTransfer can facilitate a warm introduction to the right contact within the consortium.

Order a report on this consortium See VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want access to L3Pilot's testing data, Code of Practice, or a direct introduction to the consortium? SciTransfer connects businesses with EU research teams. Contact us for a tailored briefing.

Order a report on this topic More in Transport & Mobility