General Motors to launch Ultra Cruise, mostly hands-free model, next year

General Motors has announced plans to launch in 2023 a premium model that will enable hands-free operation in 95 per cent of driving scenarios.

The US auto giant said this on Wednesday, adding the technology, called “Ultra Cruise,” would be a centerpiece of a newly unveiled plan that the Detroit company would enable it to double annual revenues by 2030.

“The vehicle has become a software platform,” Chief Executive Mary Barra said at a briefing with reporters ahead of a two-day investor presentation.

Executives said the programme would be available on premium vehicles for the 2023 season, which will be introduced in late 2022.

Although he declined to say which vehicle or vehicles would have the function, Barra said Ultra Cruise would operate effectively in “most” urban and rural scenarios, except for cases such as “very complex” intersections.

“Customers will be able to travel truly hands free with Ultra Cruise across nearly every road including city streets and subdivision streets and paved rural roads in addition to highways,” GM said in a statement.

According to the statement, the programme has 360-degree perception around the vehicle and employs cameras, radars and sensors to enable a vehicle to follow speed limits, automatically change lanes and avoid close objects.

GM announced the technology in tandem with a series of presentation on its strategy for building up its slate of electric vehicles and developing new businesses through its autonomous and digital investments.

“There are so many growth opportunities we have” said Barra, who also discussed “disrupting” the car insurance business and building up GM Defense, which sells vehicles to government agencies. The presentation comes on the heels of several earlier announcements by GM of new electric vehicle models and investments.

With Ultra Cruise, GM is said to be pushing to expand the utility of its hands-free tech across all US and Canadian paved roads, starting at launch with two million miles of pavement, 10 times the number it currently advertises for Super Cruise.

The system will work not only on major highways but also paved rural roads, city streets and even subdivisions, GM says.