GM is already taking technology in cars seriously, but it has plans to take it to the next level, and soon. Yesterday, the company announced that in less than two years its cars will communicate with each other — and hopefully even drive themselves.
At a conference in Detroit yesterday, GM’s Chief Executive Mary Barra announced that in 2016 the company will roll out two new major smart features in its cars. First, th2 2017-model Cadillac CTS sedan — available at the end of 2016 — will feature vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology as a standard feature (though it will only communicate with similarly equipped vehicles).
Perhaps more excitingly, a new, unidentified 2017 Cadillac model will feature Super Cruise, which will allow drivers to take their hands off the wheel not just on the highway but at stop-and-go speeds, too — providing lane following, speed control and automated braking. It’s not clear what technologies these features will use, nor how much they will cost.
Barra correctly pointed out that hands-free driving requires responsible drivers, adding that that it will be some time before we see fully autonomous cars on the roads. Indeed, she suggested that commercialising a fully automated vehicle could take until the next decade. Worth the wait, though, right? [Reuters via Recode]
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