BMW Highway Assistant Reaches 200 Million Kilometers of Hands-Free Driving
BMW customers have driven over 200 million kilometers hands-free using the Highway Assistant, which is now expanding to over 20 European countries.
200 million km
130 km/h
over 20
What Happened
200 million kmkm
by BMW customers with the Highway Assistant as of June 2026.
“The symbiotic interplay between driver and driver assistance during hands-free driving with our Highway Assistant, and the underlying safety concept, are unique in the industry. Over 200 million kilometres of hands-free highway driving in real-world customer use demonstrate just how reliable and relevant this system is in everyday life.”
The Highway Assistant, available in models such as the BMW 5 Series, 7 Series, iX, X5, X6, X7, XM, and new iX3, allows hands-free driving at up to 130 km/h on highways. BMW is expanding its availability from one European country to over 20, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, and the Benelux countries, with the UK, Ireland, Spain, and Portugal to follow. The system uses redundant cameras, high-resolution maps, and a driver monitoring camera to ensure safety. The driver remains responsible and must stay alert at all times.
Why this matters
This milestone shows the growing acceptance of hands-free driving technology. The expansion to over 20 European countries makes it accessible to more drivers, but the driver must remain alert and ready to take over at any time.
Terms in This Story
- SAE Level 2
- A level of driving automation where the vehicle controls steering and acceleration/deceleration, but the driver must monitor the environment and be ready to take over at any time.
- DCAS
- Driver Control Assistance Systems, a UN regulation that sets standards for driver assistance systems like hands-free highway driving.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.