GM is now testing eyes-off self-driving tech in its biggest EV

The Cadillac Escalade IQ, GM’s largest electric SUV, is the first vehicle to hit the road with the next-gen self-driving tech.

GM begins testing eyes-off self-driving tech on highways

At over 224″ long, the electric Escalade is one, if not the biggest, EV sold in the US. Starting in 2028, it will be GM’s first vehicle to offer eyes-off self-driving on highways.

GM began testing the new automated self-driving tech under “supervised” conditions on highways in California and Michigan this week, promising it’s “uniquely positioned to safely deliver autonomy that promises to return time to peoples’ days.”

Soon, it will have a fleet of over 200 manual and supervised test vehicles on the road, GM said in a statement on Tuesday.

During the test phase, each vehicle will still have a driver who’s ready to take the wheel at any time. GM’s data-collection vehicles have already driven over 1 million miles across 34 states.

Beginning on-road testing marks the next phase as GM aims to bring eyes-off self-driving tech to personal vehicles in the next few years.

The Cadillac Escalade IQ (check out our review of it) will be the first GM vehicle to introduce the new automated driving tech, followed by other gas and electric vehicles. It will first be available on highways, but GM said the new tech will eventually be capable of driveway-to-driveway.

GM’s self-driving tech builds on its current SuperCruise, which has accumulated over 800 million miles of customer-driven miles.

The new capabilities will be enabled by a new centralized computing platform that controls everything from the vehicle’s infotainment to its propulsion and safety features.

According to GM, the new platform unlocks 35 times more AI performance and 1,000 times more bandwidth than its previous systems. The eyes-off system will use LiDAR, radars, and cameras integrated directly into the vehicle’s body, unlike vision-only systems.

GM joins Rivian, Ford, Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, Lucid, Stellantis, and several other automakers planning to introduce eyes-off self-driving tech over the next few years.