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While automakers such as Volkswagen and Stellantis battle it out in the autonomous ride-hail space, American multinational General Motors (GM) has shifted its focus to developing autonomous technology for personal vehicles.
GM introduced its Super Cruise technology in 2017 as the world’s first truly hands-free driving assistance system. Since then, it has been continuously improved and has now been expanded to operate on more than 20 models from Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, and GMC.
The platform has garnered considerable success, with the online subscription service picking up hundreds of thousands of subscribers once the trial period ends.
“General Motors believes driving should be smarter, more convenient, and accessible to everyone. As we advance hands-free driving, our vision is to make every journey more comfortable and less stressful,” the company stated.
Like most other autonomous systems in the U.S., Super Cruise currently operates at a Level 2 autonomous capacity. GM has announced plans to deliver Level 3, or “eyes-off,” autonomous capabilities by 2028, where the driver will no longer need to continuously watch the road.
This pivot toward personally owned autonomous vehicles comes under the leadership of its new Chief Product Officer and driverless tech pioneer Sterling Anderson, the brains behind the driverless vehicle start-up Aurora.
“Autonomy will make our roads safer. It will be the cornerstone of GM’s modern portfolio going forward,” Anderson said.
While GM previously invested $10 billion into developing autonomous robotaxis over the last decade, these plans were scrapped following a devastating accident in 2023. This controversy, paired with the notoriously slim profit margins and high overheads associated with autonomous fleet management, has led GM to make a decisive switch toward personally owned vehicles.
Mary Barra, CEO of GM, echoed this sentiment in a recent statement, saying,
“When you look at owning a fleet and all the other aspects that go into running a robotaxi business, that’s not our core business today. We are focused on personal autonomy.”
GM plans to roll out a new semi-autonomous system in the Cadillac Escalade IQ, an all-electric SUV that will be equipped with turquoise lights on the dashboard and side mirrors to alert pedestrians when Level 3 autonomous capabilities are deployed.
The Escalade IQ diverges from GM’s current autonomous models through the addition of LIDAR, or light-based radar, a considerable technological leap from the existing camera, radar, and GPS-based systems used.
With the likes of Stellantis, Tesla, and Volkswagen dominating the autonomous ride-hail space, it remains to be seen whether GM’s strategic shift toward personal vehicles will pay off. However, early indicators of high subscription numbers and financial success point to a highly commercial strategy.
At a recent earnings briefing, Barra said,
“We’re enjoying approximately 70 percent margins on the Super Cruise business,” noting that Super Cruise customers have nearly doubled year-on-year to more than 500,000″.
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