BMW, Intel and MobilEye to bring fully autonomous car to the roads by 2021

BMW, Intel and MobilEye have teamed up to make fully autonomous cars a reality by 2021.

The companies are combining forces and know-how to build a 'future-proofed' platform for automated driving vehicles.

Although the first production creation from the trio won't be ready for five years, the companies have promised jointly created platform-based test cars by 2017.

We already know the flagship vehicle from BMW based upon this joint venture will be the iNEXT model that was announced in May.

Along with the collaboration proclamation on Friday morning, the companies revealed they will specifically be focused on the top three levels of automated driving, "so called 'eyes off' (level 3) and ultimately the 'mind off' (level 4) level" as BMW puts it. And "the final stage of traveling 'driver off' (level 5) without a human driver inside."

Despite the fatal crash involving a driver of a Tesla Model S this week, BMW, Intel and MobilEye still believe that "automated driving technologies will make travel safer and easier."