A computer-implemented method for operating an autonomous vehicle, the method comprising: perceiving driving behaviors of one or more vehicles surrounding a first autonomous vehicle; transmitting one or more driving style elements representing the driving behaviors of the surrounding vehicles from the first autonomous vehicle to a remote server over a network; receiving from the remote server a driving style that was determined based on the driving style elements at the remote server, the driving style including information describing how the first autonomous vehicle should drive in view of the surrounding vehicles at a point in time; generating planning and control data based on the driving style; controlling and driving the first autonomous vehicle based on the planning and control data; detecting that a network connection with the remote server is unavailable; in response to the detection, exchanging the driving style elements with one or more autonomous vehicles located within a predetermined proximity of the first autonomous vehicle; and determining the driving style based on the exchanged driving style elements within the first autonomous vehicle, wherein the exchanging the driving style elements with one or more autonomous vehicles comprises: detecting that a second autonomous vehicle is located within the predetermined proximity of the first autonomous vehicle; transmitting the driving style elements as a first set of driving style elements to the second autonomous vehicle over a wireless connection; receiving a second set of driving style elements from the second autonomous vehicle, wherein the driving style is determined based on the first set of driving style elements and the second set of driving style elements. perceiving driving behaviors of one or more vehicles surrounding a first autonomous vehicle; transmitting one or more driving style elements representing the driving behaviors of the surrounding vehicles from the first autonomous vehicle to a remote server over a network; receiving from the remote server a driving style that was determined based on the driving style elements at the remote server, the driving style including information describing how the first autonomous vehicle should drive in view of the surrounding vehicles at a point in time; generating planning and control data based on the driving style; controlling and driving the first autonomous vehicle based on the planning and control data; detecting that a network connection with the remote server is unavailable; in response to the detection, exchanging the driving style elements with one or more autonomous vehicles located within a predetermined proximity of the first autonomous vehicle; and determining the driving style based on the exchanged driving style elements within the first autonomous vehicle, wherein the exchanging the driving style elements with one or more autonomous vehicles comprises: detecting that a second autonomous vehicle is located within the predetermined proximity of the first autonomous vehicle; transmitting the driving style elements as a first set of driving style elements to the second autonomous vehicle over a wireless connection; receiving a second set of driving style elements from the second autonomous vehicle, wherein the driving style is determined based on the first set of driving style elements and the second set of driving style elements. detecting that a second autonomous vehicle is located within the predetermined proximity of the first autonomous vehicle; transmitting the driving style elements as a first set of driving style elements to the second autonomous vehicle over a wireless connection; receiving a second set of driving style elements from the second autonomous vehicle, wherein the driving style is determined based on the first set of driving style elements and the second set of driving style elements. <EOS>