This archive report was first published on 7 October 2021.
Published on October 7, 2021, General Motors (GM) has unveiled Ultra Cruise, an upgrade to their Super Cruise autonomous driving system. This move marks their closest attempt to rival Tesla's Full Self-Driving system.
Ultra Cruise builds upon the capabilities of Super Cruise, which offered hands-free driving on mapped, divided highways in the US and Canada. The new system expands its capabilities to handle hands-free driving in 95% of all scenarios, including city streets and paved rural roads. However, the driver will still be required to remain attentive and alert, ready to take control when necessary.
Ultra Cruise relies on a combination of cameras, radars, and lidar technology to support various driving tasks, such as parking, object avoidance, on-demand lane changes, and left and right-hand turns. The system also features a human-machine interface in front of the driver, providing real-time information on the car's surroundings.
GM plans to cover over 2 million miles of roads in Canada and the US by 2023, with an additional 1.4 million miles to be covered after the official launch. Initially, Ultra Cruise will be available exclusively on GM's Cadillac models, with other brands, including GMC, Buick, and Chevrolet, expected to receive Super Cruise for the time being.
