general motors CEO Mary Barra said Monday that the company is on track to introduce “keep your eyes, keep your hands off” driving technology by 2028.
Last October, GM announced plans to install the next-generation driver assistance system in the electric Cadillac Escalade IQ in 2028 before expanding it to other models. Unlike the company’s existing Super Cruise system, which allows drivers to take their hands off the wheel but requires them to remain alert, the new technology is designed to allow drivers to take their eyes off the road under certain conditions.
Barra told Jim Cramer on CNBC’s “Mad Money” that he recently tested the technology and was impressed by how much it has improved since his first ride in March. “They are making great progress toward our goal of getting them out of the way by the 2028 deadline,” he said. “We’re going to be in a better position in terms of personal autonomy,” she said, adding: “People can drive when they want to. If they don’t want to, as they grow up, they don’t have to.”
GM’s push into personal self-driving follows its decision to exit the cruise robotaxi business in December 2024, at a cost of more than $10 billion. Rather than compete in the increasingly crowded driverless ride-hailing market, automakers have directed resources to developing self-driving systems for consumer-owned vehicles. “We’re not in the taxi business. We’re not in the bus business,” Barra said.
He acknowledged that exiting the robotaxi market would be difficult, but defended the move, noting that GM retained much of its Cruise team to work on personal self-driving. “It was a difficult decision, but I think it was the right one,” she said.
Barra also pushed back against the idea that widespread adoption of self-driving cars could ultimately reduce the need for personal car ownership. She recalled an earlier prediction that ride-hailing services would become popular: Uber and lift Car sales would drop significantly, but this never happened. Because “people still appreciate having a car in their driveway. They can go wherever they want whenever they want.”
