GM's Super Cruise driver-assist system, with its hands-off driving, is arguably the best semi-autonomous offering in the automotive market. But GM isn't satisfied with hands-off — it wants eyes-off, Level 3 autonomy and the company is starting to test such tech on public roads. From Automotive News:
General Motors said it will begin testing its hands-free, eyes-off driving system on public highways this week as the automaker gears up for its launch in 2028. GM will deploy 200 test vehicles on highways in California and Michigan, each with a test driver that can take control of the vehicle if necessary, the automaker said March 23. It will be the first time GM tests its next-generation driver-assistance system on public roadways, though the automaker previously deployed dozens of test vehicles driven by humans to gather data on public roads. GM plans to launch the system in 2028 on the Cadillac Escalade IQ electric SUV, with the goal of being one of the first automakers to bring Level 3 technology to the market. Ford Motor Co. also plans to launch a Level 3 partially autonomous system in 2028.
I'm intrigued as to how one tests eyes-off driving with a safety driver behind the wheel. Isn't that person's entire job to have their eyes on? GM is following Ford with its 2028 promise of a Level 3 driving system for owners, catching up to Mercedes-Benz, which has offered Level 3 driving in California since 2023 and BMW, which has offered the more-autonomous-than-not driving in Germany since 2024.
2nd Gear: EVs are back, baby
Here in the United States, we're doing our best to pretend electric vehicles never existed and never will exist. Our entire regulatory apparatus is bent towards elevating fossil fuels above all else, but Europe does things a little differently. The continent is halting its sliding new-car sales with cost-effective EVs, and the plan is working. From Bloomberg:
European car sales edged higher last month as consumers rotated to buying electric vehicles, taking advantage of new subsidy programs and picking from a growing range of affordable models. New-vehicle registrations rose 1.7% in February from a year earlier to 979,321 units, the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association said Tuesday. Sales climbed in Germany, Spain, Italy and the UK, offsetting a decline of nearly 15% in France. The rate of EV growth outran steep declines for fuel-burning cars. Sales in Germany for vehicles with a plug jumped by a combined 27% after low-and middle-income earners started to tap into a new subsidy scheme. In France, battery-only car demand surged 28%, while sales for petrol, diesel and hybrid-powered vehicles fell.
The real movers here are cheap EVs, sales of which are likely not hurt by high gas prices thanks to
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GM aims to launch Level 3 eyes-off driving by 2028, competing with Mercedes-Benz and BMW's existing systems.
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This technology could revolutionize highway driving by allowing drivers to fully disengage during autonomous operation.
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Mercedes-Benz already offers Level 3 driving in California since 2023, giving GM a late-mover disadvantage.
