GM to Launch Hands-Free Driver Assistance System - 2023

GM's Ultra Cruise: A Leap Towards Full Autonomy

General Motors is preparing to launch an advanced hands-free driving assistance system, Ultra Cruise, in 2023. This system is engineered to manage 95% of all driving situations.

The ultimate goal is to enable operation on all paved roadways throughout the United States and Canada. Details regarding the functionality of Ultra Cruise were unveiled during GM’s recent two-day investor conference, which began on Wednesday.

A Phased Rollout Strategy

GM has chosen a deliberate and gradual implementation approach, mirroring the strategy employed with its earlier Super Cruise system. Pricing details and the payment model – whether a one-time fee or subscription – remain undisclosed at this time.

Initially, Ultra Cruise will be offered as an option on select Cadillac vehicles. Subsequently, availability will expand to encompass other GM brands, including GMC and Chevrolet.

Expanded Road Coverage

The initial release of Ultra Cruise will provide access on over 2 million miles of roads across the U.S. and Canada. This network is projected to grow to 3.4 million miles in the future.

A key distinction from the original Super Cruise is the expanded operational domain. Ultra Cruise is designed to function not only on highways but also on city streets, residential areas, and paved rural roads.

Super Cruise Continues

GM will continue to offer the Super Cruise system alongside Ultra Cruise. Recent enhancements to Super Cruise include automatic lane changing capabilities and support for towing.

These upgrades ensure that Super Cruise remains a competitive option for drivers seeking advanced driver-assistance features.

Key Features and Benefits

• 95% Driving Scenario Coverage: Ultra Cruise aims to handle the vast majority of driving situations.
• Expanded Road Types: Operates on highways, city streets, and rural roads.
• Phased Availability: Initial launch with Cadillac, followed by other GM brands.
• Continued Super Cruise Support: Existing Super Cruise customers will continue to receive updates and benefits.

Super Cruise and Ultra Cruise: A Comparison

Super Cruise employs a sophisticated system integrating lidar map data, precise GPS positioning, camera arrays, and radar sensors. A crucial component is its driver attention system, designed to verify the driver’s continued focus on the road. Notably, Super Cruise permits hands-free driving, but mandates the driver’s gaze remain directed forward.

Ultra Cruise shares this core principle. Jason Ditman, a leading engineer within GM’s automated driving division, emphasized during a press briefing that Ultra Cruise is engineered as a Level 2 automated system. Despite expanded functionality and broader road compatibility, it still necessitates constant driver attentiveness.

This distinction clarifies that it isn’t a Level 4 “fully autonomous” system. Level 4 capability signifies a vehicle’s ability to manage all driving tasks independently, under specific conditions, without human intervention. Companies like Cruise, a GM subsidiary, are actively pursuing the commercialization of Level 4 systems through robotaxi services.

Ultra Cruise is conceived as an advancement upon the existing Super Cruise technology. Like its predecessor, it utilizes cameras, radar, and lidar to construct detailed, 360-degree, three-dimensional models of the vehicle’s surroundings, incorporating redundancy in critical areas. However, the system is placing increased reliance on sensor data rather than pre-existing maps.

This integrated approach enables the system to respond to traffic signals, adhere to navigation routes, maintain appropriate speeds, execute both automatic and requested lane changes, navigate turns, avoid obstacles, and even manage parking in residential settings.

Furthermore, Ultra Cruise incorporates a lidar unit positioned behind the windshield. The system’s processing power is derived from a 5-nanometer, scalable compute architecture, working in conjunction with GM’s Ultifi software platform and its Vehicle Intelligence Platform (VIP).

GM recently announced the development of Ultifi, a new end-to-end software platform slated for vehicle integration beginning in 2023. This software is intended to provide a range of features, including in-vehicle subscriptions and over-the-air updates for new applications and services.

The Ultifi platform will be built upon GM’s VIP, a foundational hardware architecture that delivers enhanced data processing capabilities. This architecture is key to supporting the advanced features of both Super Cruise and Ultra Cruise.

Similar to Super Cruise, the new Ultra Cruise system will include a driver monitoring system. GM is also refining the human-machine interface (HMI) to provide drivers with essential information, including clear indications of when driver control is required. The primary HMI will be a freeform display positioned directly within the driver’s field of vision.

An Ultra Cruise application is also under development for display on the vehicle’s central screen while parked. This app will offer comprehensive information, such as driver statistics, trip details, and historical data.

Further Insights from GM’s Investor Day:

• GM projects a doubling of revenue by 2030, with plans to capture EV market share from Tesla.
• GM is expanding its range of affordable EVs, including a $30,000 crossover model.
• The company aims to establish a subscription-based business comparable in scale to Netflix by 2030.
• GM and General Electric are collaborating to develop rare earth materials crucial for EV manufacturing.