General Motors has decided to halt development of their next-generation semi-autonomous driving system Ultra Cruise. Instead, GM will refocus efforts on improving the existing Super Cruise technology already on the market.
Ultra Cruise, announced in 2021, was meant to be a leap forward from Super Cruise. It promised true hands-free driving in 95% of scenarios, spanning over 2 million miles of roads.
By comparison, Super Cruise is limited to highway-only hands-free driving on just 200,000 miles mapped. Both systems are considered Level 2 automation, requiring driver supervision.
The cancellation of Ultra Cruise comes as a surprise given GM’s previous boasting about its expanded capabilities. Just two years ago, it was hailed as the next evolution of semi-autonomous driving and a core part of GM’s technology roadmap.
But clearly, GM has determined that Ultra Cruise is not ready for prime time yet. There are likely still issues to iron out, whether around system reliability, navigation, or overall performance.
Rather than rush a flawed Ultra Cruise to market, GM is wisely taking a step back. Refocusing resources on perfecting Super Cruise will pay off more in the long run.
As Tesla has learned with its imperfect Full Self Driving beta, semi-autonomous systems require extreme rigor before public deployment. Claims must match reality or backlash is inevitable.
GM is making the tough but sensible call to walk back Ultra Cruise, even after talking it up previously. This agility shows they are listening to feedback and prioritizing safety over hype.
Perhaps years from now an enhanced version of Ultra Cruise will emerge. For now, GM seems content delivering a rock-solid Super Cruise product. In the risky autonomous driving domain, slow and steady often wins the race.
Do you think canceling Ultra Cruise was the right call by GM? How much longer until we get truly hands-free autonomous taxis?