L3 driving is only available at low speeds, approx 35mph which means only useful for stop-and-go traffic. Many cars with adaptive cruise control can already do this.
Source: https://www.rambus.com/blogs/driving-automation-levels/#leve...
Source: https://www.rambus.com/blogs/driving-automation-levels/#leve...
I created a mySAE account to download the full spec. What I found is that the manufacturer generally has fairly free reign to define their "operational design domain (ODD)" for level 3 systems, aka what conditions the car's "level 3" operation is designed for and can operate under. The only real requirement for level 3 is that OEDR is required (monitoring the driving environment (detecting, recognizing, and classifying objects and events and preparing to respond as needed) and executing an appropriate response to such objects and events (i.e., as needed to complete the DDT and/or DDT fallback [fallback to driver]).
Props to SAE for making their spec free do download, modulo a gratuitous account.
In that case, this paragraph from the article doesn't make much sense (in fairness, it was on pretty shaky ground to begin with):
> Mercedes’ Level 3 conditionally automated driving assistant can, on suitable highway sections [emphasis added] and where traffic density is high, offer to take over the driving, leaving the driver free to do something else, like watch a movie or participate in a meeting.
Later, they add the nag. 2018 I think.