- GM working on Level 3 automated driving system
- Mercedes-Benz is the only automaker with a Level 3 system currently available
- Stellantis also working on Level 3 system
General Motors is developing an automated driving system that will allow the driver to take their hands off the wheel and eyes off the road in certain conditions, although the driver must be ready to regain control at any time.
These systems are classified at Level 3 in the SAE Scale of Autonomous Driving Capabilitythe first level where the car can drive completely by itself, and at the moment only Mercedes-Benz offers this system in Drive Pilot shape.
All other automated driving systems for private cars, including GM’s Super Cruise, are only classified at Level 2 as they still require the driver to monitor the road at all times.
The news of GM’s work on a Level 3 system was confirmed by the automaker’s senior vice president of software engineering and services, Dave Richardson, in an interview with TechCrunch published on October 4th.
“Super Cruise, I think, is an industry-leading L2 solution for those who don’t interact and look,” he said. “We are aggressively looking to make this an L3 solution, where you don’t even have to look at the road anymore.”
Stellantis in June also said it’s working in a level 3 system.
Richardson did not mention a date for GM’s launch of a Level 3 system, but warned in his interview with TechCrunch that the system would only be launched when it was robust and reliable, otherwise owners would soon lose confidence in it.
In the meantime, GM will continue to improve its Super Cruise system, including using some of Super Cruise’s technologies to enhance other features of the car. For example, Super Cruise’s driver monitoring system was recently used to develop an independent system to detect distracted drivers.
GM will also expand the system to more vehicles and cover more roads. The automaker said in February that Super Cruise will be expanded to cover approximately 750,000 miles of roads in the US and Canada by the end of 2025.
GM aims to eventually have 95% of U.S. roads covered by Super Cruise, which will make many door-to-door trips possible. GM originally planned to market this more capable version as Ultra Cruise, although the automaker dropped the Ultra Cruise name and opted for Super Cruise instead, as it is already recognized by consumers.