A completely autonomous car drives itself without any human input — but none exist for public use yet

A completely autonomous vehicle, also called a Level 5 autonomous car, would handle all driving tasks under all conditions without a steering wheel, pedals, or a human driver. It would navigate city streets, highways, parking lots, and bad weather on its own. No such vehicle is currently sold to the public or used in regular passenger service anywhere in the world.

What does exist today are vehicles with partial automation — systems like Tesla's Autopilot, Waymo's robotaxi service in limited cities, and Cruise's driverless taxis (now paused). These handle specific tasks like highway driving or pre-mapped routes in good weather, but they all require either a human ready to take over or operation only in controlled conditions. The gap between what exists and a truly driverless car remains large.

Key Takeaways

  • No completely autonomous vehicles are currently sold to consumers or used in regular public transportation anywhere.
  • Partial automation systems like lane-keeping and adaptive cruise control exist today, but they require human attention and cannot handle all driving situations.
  • Waymo and Cruise operate driverless robotaxis in a few U.S. cities, but only on pre-mapped routes in specific weather and traffic conditions.
  • Regulatory approval, liability rules, and technical challenges around weather, construction, and edge cases remain unsolved for full autonomy.
  • If you own a car with driver-information features, you remain legally responsible for the vehicle and must stay ready to drive at any time.

The difference between partial automation and full autonomy

The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) defines six levels of driving automation, from Level 0 (no automation) to Level 5 (full automation). Most cars on the road today are Level 0 or Level 1 — the driver does the work, with optional features like cruise control or lane-keeping information.

Level 2 and Level 3 systems exist in production vehicles. Tesla's Autopilot and Cadillac's Super Cruise are Level 2 — they can steer, accelerate, and brake together, but the driver must watch the road and be ready to take over when ready. Level 3 systems (found in some luxury cars in Europe and Japan) can handle driving for extended periods in certain conditions, but they still require a human to take control when the system reaches its limits.

Level 4 and Level 5 are where the human driver becomes optional. Waymo's robotaxis in Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles operate at Level 4 — they drive themselves with no human in the car, but only on routes the company has pre-mapped and tested extensively, and only in conditions the system has been trained for. Level 5 would work anywhere, anytime, in any weather or traffic situation. No company has demonstrated this.

What Waymo and Cruise actually do

Waymo operates driverless robotaxis in Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Passengers order rides through an app, get picked up by a car with no driver, and are taken to their destination. The car navigates traffic, makes turns, and handles most situations on its own. However, Waymo has spent years mapping these specific cities in extreme detail, and the service operates in defined zones with known road layouts.

Cruise, owned by General Motors, launched a similar service in San Francisco but paused operations in 2024 after several incidents. Both companies use high-resolution maps, multiple cameras and sensors, and machine learning trained on millions of miles of driving data. Neither operates in snow, heavy rain, or unmapped areas.

These services are not consumer products you can buy. They are commercial robotaxi fleets operated by the companies themselves. Waymo charges per ride, similar to Uber or Lyft. Expansion to new cities happens slowly because each location requires months of mapping and testing.

Why a completely autonomous car does not exist yet

Building a car that drives itself in all conditions is harder than it sounds. Weather is a major obstacle — heavy snow covers lane markings, rain degrades camera vision, and ice changes how the car should brake. Construction zones appear without warning. Pedestrians behave unpredictably. Other drivers make illegal or unexpected moves. A system trained on millions of miles of sunny California driving may fail in a snowstorm in Minnesota.

Liability is another barrier. If a driverless car causes an accident, who is responsible — the manufacturer, the software company, the car owner, or the fleet operator? Laws vary by state and country, and most places have not settled this question. Insurance companies do not yet know how to price driverless vehicles. Regulators have not written clear rules for what testing and approval a Level 5 vehicle must pass before it can be sold.

The technical problem of the "edge case" — the rare, unexpected situation the system was not trained for — remains unsolved. A human driver can improvise. A machine learning system trained on specific scenarios may freeze or make a dangerous choice when it encounters something outside its training data.

What you should know if your car has driver-information features

If you own a car with Autopilot, Super Cruise, or similar features, you are still the driver. The law and your insurance policy hold you responsible for the vehicle. You must keep your hands on the wheel, watch the road, and be ready to take control at any moment. These systems can fail, misread the road, or reach their limits without warning.

Some drivers have tested these systems by taking their hands off the wheel or closing their eyes. This is dangerous and illegal in many states. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened investigations into Tesla Autopilot crashes and has issued warnings about misuse. Your insurance may not cover an accident if you were not actively driving when it occurred.

Read your vehicle's manual to understand exactly what the system can and cannot do. Do not assume it can handle highway driving unsupervised or that it will work in rain, snow, or at night. The manufacturer's instructions are the legal standard for how you should use the system.

The regulatory and legal landscape

The federal government has not issued a single set of rules for autonomous vehicles. Instead, states write their own laws. Some states allow testing on public roads with a safety driver. Others require specific insurance coverage. A few have passed laws allowing driverless robotaxis, but the rules differ widely.

California, Arizona, and a handful of other states have frameworks for testing and operating autonomous vehicles. Most states have no clear rules yet. If you are considering buying a car with advanced driver-information features or moving to a city with robotaxi service, check your state's current regulations — they change frequently.

The federal government is working on standards through NHTSA and the Department of Transportation, but no comprehensive federal law exists yet. This means a vehicle legal in one state might not be legal in another.

What might change in the next few years

Waymo and other companies continue to expand robotaxi service to new cities, though slowly. Tesla and other manufacturers are working on more advanced driver-information features, but they are not claiming to have solved full autonomy. Some researchers believe Level 5 autonomy is 10 to 20 years away; others think it may never be fully solved.

Regulation will likely tighten before autonomy becomes widespread. Governments may require manufacturers to prove their systems work in all weather, all times of day, and all road types before allowing public use. Insurance rules will evolve. Liability laws will be clarified.

For now, if you see a driverless car, it is almost certainly a Waymo robotaxi in one of a few cities, operating on a pre-mapped route in good weather. It is not a consumer product, and it is not available everywhere.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I buy a completely autonomous car right now?

No. No manufacturer sells a Level 5 autonomous vehicle to consumers. You can buy cars with driver-information features like lane-keeping or adaptive cruise control, but these require you to stay alert and ready to drive. Waymo operates driverless robotaxis in a few cities, but you cannot own one — you can only ride in one.

Is my car's Autopilot or Super Cruise system fully autonomous?

No. These are Level 2 systems that can steer and brake together, but you must watch the road and be ready to take control when ready. The manufacturer's instructions require you to keep your hands on the wheel. You remain legally responsible for the vehicle at all times.

When will completely autonomous cars be available to buy?

No timeline is certain. Some experts estimate 10 to 20 years; others say the technical and regulatory challenges may delay it much longer. Weather, edge cases, and liability questions remain unsolved. Regulatory approval will likely take years after the technology is ready.

What happens if a driverless car gets in an accident?

Liability rules vary by state and are still evolving. In most cases, the manufacturer or fleet operator would likely be responsible, but laws differ. If you are a passenger in a Waymo robotaxi, Waymo's insurance covers the ride. If you own a car with driver-information features and cause an accident while using them, you are likely responsible.

Can I use Autopilot to drive without paying attention?

No. It is illegal in many states and violates the manufacturer's instructions. Your insurance may not cover an accident if you were not actively driving. NHTSA has investigated crashes involving drivers who were not paying attention while using Autopilot.