GM to introduce eyes-off, hands-off driving system in 2028

General Motors (GM) has announced its intention to unveil an advanced automated driving system by the year 2028, enabling drivers to operate their vehicles without the need to keep their eyes on the road or hands on the wheel. This groundbreaking initiative will debut with the Cadillac Escalade IQ and was revealed during the GM Forward event held in New York City. This announcement follows earlier reports from TechCrunch regarding GM's development of the technology. The foundation for this new system is GM's existing hands-free driver assistance feature, Super Cruise, which has been in operation since 2017 and is currently available in 23 different vehicle models, covering around 600,000 miles of highway. The upcoming driver assistance technology will employ a combination of lidar, radar, and cameras to enhance its perception capabilities, primarily functioning on highways initially. GM's CEO, Mary Barra, emphasized that the rollout of this innovative eyes-off system will occur more swiftly than the introduction of the original hands-free Super Cruise system. To bolster its development, GM has integrated insights from engineers who previously worked at its now-defunct autonomous vehicle subsidiary, Cruise. Following the closure of Cruise's commercial robotaxi division in December 2024, GM absorbed its resources, aiming to refine its driver assistance features further. Additionally, GM has re-engaged several former Cruise engineers to advance its vision of fully autonomous personal vehicles. The integration of Cruise's technological framework, which includes AI models developed from five million driverless miles and a robust simulation system for virtual testing, will play a crucial role in GM's next-generation driver assistance and autonomy initiatives. Sterling Anderson, GM's executive vice president of global product and a former co-founder of the AV startup Aurora Innovation, highlighted the strategic advantages GM possesses in terms of manufacturing capacity and existing vehicle installations, allowing for a larger and more cost-effective production of autonomous vehicles. Currently, Mercedes is the only other automaker offering a commercially available system that allows for both hands-off and eyes-off driving, categorized under SAE's Level 3 automation. Mercedes's Drive Pilot operates on designated highways in California and Nevada but is limited to specific conditions. In contrast, GM’s new system is designed to function on highways that have not been mapped by the automaker, with a focus on managing emergencies and unexpected situations without human intervention, except when navigating off-ramps. With this ambitious eyes-off and hands-off driving system, GM aims to position itself ahead of competitors in the race for autonomous vehicle technology, unless other manufacturers accelerate their own developments first. Although Stellantis introduced its own Level 3 system, its launch has been postponed. Tesla continues to pursue full self-driving capabilities primarily through camera and neural network technology, yet its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems still require drivers to remain vigilant.