In an area specially set up for the IAA on the A94, Mercedes-Benz, among others, wants to showcase Level 3 and Level 4 driving.Mercedes-Benz
Autonomous driving between theory and practice - at the IAA Mobility 2025, OEMs, suppliers, and research institutions showcase the progress of driver assistance systems. Learn more about the current ADAS technologies in our overview.
The IAA Mobility 2025, taking place in Munich from 9 to 14 September, once again positions itself as a showcase for driver assistance systems and autonomous driving - not only in the conference room and at the exhibition stand, but also on the asphalt.
According to the organisers, 15 companies are sending a total of 25 vehicles onto the roads around the exhibition grounds. The range extends from sensor and software providers such as Aumovio, Innoviz Technologies, Mobileye, Magna or Murata to research institutions such as the TU Munich.
Visitors can experience from the passenger seat how automated driving functions behave in real traffic - from lane keeping to distance rules to interaction with and in complex traffic situations. Christian Vorländer, Head of Mobility at Messe München, sees this year's IAA as a "world of experience and test laboratory at the same time".
Level 3 and 4 on motorway operations
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A highlight - and probably the most realistic acid test - is the operational area set up by Autobahn GmbH on the A94: Between the Munich-East motorway junction and the city centre of Munich, visitors can expect demonstrations of so-called C-ITS use cases (Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems) - concrete application scenarios in which vehicles, traffic infrastructure and other road users exchange information in real time. Planned are, among other things, construction site and hazard warnings. Additionally, an area for Level 3 and Level 4 drives will be set up, where Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen want to present corresponding scenarios.
This is, in a way, the logical continuation of the pilot project in the Free State: Selected sections of the A9, between Nuremberg and Munich, have been serving as a Digital Test Field Motorway since 2017. This was set up by the Federal Ministry of Transport together with the Free State of Bavaria and representatives of the automotive industry as well as the IT sector. "We want to show on this nationwide unique motorway test field under real conditions that digitalisation increases road safety and makes traffic flow more efficient," said Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Hermann.
Digital test fields in public road spaces are an essential part of the federal government's research and innovation funding.BMV
In test operation, IAA participants are likely to be impressed by how advanced ADAS technologies have become, but these are literally being slowed down by regulations - at least in Europe. "We are making Germany the lead market for autonomous driving," the coalition agreement between the Union and SPD proclaims boldly; however, when this will become reality between Flensburg and Garmisch remains to be seen. Europe-wide uniform approval procedures or binding standards are still a thing of the future - scepticism remains.
This very scepticism is to be reduced in the Bavarian capital. "With interactive formats and practical demonstrations, we want to reduce inhibitions, convey safety and strengthen trust in new technologies," says VDA Managing Director Jürgen Mindel. Tragedies such as the fatal Xiaomi accident at the end of March this year have not exactly contributed to trust in autonomous driving, even in Munich, more than 8,000 kilometres away - the industry is, for better or worse, a global village.
There is often a long way between spectacular showcases and reliable series maturity, marked by many open questions: standardisation, cost pressure and everyday usability are a well-known triad - the IAA exhibits are no exception.
For example, Wideye (AGC Glass) shows how lidar and camera systems can be discreetly and protectively integrated behind glass surfaces - a coherent contribution to design integration and sensor durability, in practice, of course, strongly dependent on the cleanliness and optical quality of the cover.
Mobileye brings Supervision and Drive systems to Munich, which theoretically enable Level 4 driving. The emphasis is on theoretically. In everyday life, the systems are still dependent on map accuracy, weather conditions and sensor fusion subtleties.
Bosch relies on the connection of sensors and software, presenting radar SoCs, MEMS sensors, and CAN-XL transceivers - all components that could find widespread use in the industry. If price, quantities, and integration effort remain within economic limits. Which subjunctive becomes an indicative remains to be seen.
The IAA Mobility 2025 is likely to show that the technical basis for advanced driver assistance systems is (long) established - and that both established OEMs and eager start-ups are working to transition from demo projects to robust series solutions.
At the same time, however, the event could also reveal where the weaknesses lie: lack of standard harmonization, high validation costs, and partly unclear business models for software updates. For decision-makers in the industry, this means: The pace of innovation is high, the number of potential partners large - but the wheat is not separated from the chaff on the beautifully lit trade fair stage, but in real road traffic.
From Research to Driving Test
At the joint stand of the Fraunhofer Traffic Alliance, the Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering presents its current work on automated driving. In addition, the Institute for Human and Mobility, Macromedia University, the Energy Technology Center of the University of Applied Sciences Landshut, the University of Applied Sciences Munich, and the Technical University of Applied Sciences Ingolstadt show their projects on driver assistance systems and vehicle technologies.
Prototype example of Fraunhofer's work on ADAS: The Institute for Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation is researching an AI-supported system to enable autonomous vehicles to safely interact with pedestrians.Fraunhofer-Institut
A pilot project by TU Munich, created in collaboration with Dekra, adds a touch of irony: Assistance systems and automated driving functions must pass a standardized driving test. Under the somewhat cumbersome project name "Driving Test for Automated Vehicles," a human driving instructor assesses whether the computer-based system meets the same requirements as a flesh-and-blood driving student.
The findings are likely to be intriguing - not only because they reveal the current state of technology, but also because they raise forward-looking questions about responsibility, control, and regulation in the AI era.
