General Motors announces Ultra Cruise autonomous driving tech

US automotive giant General Motors has announced plans to roll out an all-new semi-autonomous driving system in 2023, dubbed ‘Ultra Cruise.’

While the conglomerate's existing ‘Super Cruise’ driver assistance technology – currently an option in select Cadillac, GMC, and Chevrolet models – offers lane keeping and radar cruise control, GM claims its new system will offer almost complete autonomy under certain conditions.

“[It will] enable hands-free driving in 95 percent of all driving scenarios,” GM said in an official statement. “Customers will be able to travel truly hands free with Ultra Cruise across nearly every road including city streets, subdivision streets and paved rural roads, in addition to highways.”

The technology – which is pitched as a competitor to Tesla's camera-only 'Full Self-Driving' (FSD) – uses radar, lidar sensors, and cameras to create a 3D map of a vehicle's surroundings, and make decisions accordingly.

“We believe that the combination of different sensors – or sensor fusion – leads to the most robust hands-free driver-assist system for our customers,” said Doug Parks, GM executive vice president of Global Product Development.

Ultra Cruise is slated to launch in 2023, via the automotive giant's flagship Cadillac marque. A timeline for roll-out across the wider group is yet to be confirmed.