GM Plans Self-Driving Cars You Can Ignore by 2028

General Motors walked away from the robotaxi game last December. The company had burned through more than ten billion dollars on its Cruise unit. Boss Mary Barra said the call was painful but necessary. GM decided it does not want to run a taxi fleet or a bus service.

Instead the automaker is pouring those resources into tech for cars that regular folks buy. The goal is a system that lets you take your eyes off the road and your hands off the wheel. Barra told CNBC the target launch is 2028. The first model to get it will be the electric Cadillac Escalade IQ.

This is a big step up from the current Super Cruise feature. Super Cruise only allows hands-free driving while you still watch the road. The new setup is designed for eyes-off operation in certain situations. Barra recently took a test ride and came away impressed. She said the progress since a March demo has been massive.

The CEO framed the shift as giving people choice. When you feel like driving you can grab the wheel. When you don't the car will handle it. GM kept most of the Cruise engineering team to make this happen. Barra insists the pivot was the right move for the long haul.