GM Plans “Eyes-Off” Super Cruise with LIDAR by 2028

A New Chapter for Hands-Free Driving

General Motors is preparing a major leap forward in its automated driving technology. The company announced plans to upgrade Super Cruise—its flagship hands-free driving system—to an “eyes-off” mode by 2028. This next-generation version will debut on the Cadillac Escalade IQ, allowing drivers to take their hands off the wheel and their eyes off the road when conditions are right.

This would mark Level 3 autonomy, a step beyond the current Level 2 systems used by Tesla, Ford, and others. GM says the upgrade represents a “true evolution” toward full self-driving capability.

Powered by LIDAR and Sensor Fusion

Unlike the camera-based approach used by some competitors, GM’s new system will integrate LIDAR, radar, and cameras into a robust sensor fusion platform. This creates a 360-degree awareness of the vehicle’s surroundings and enables safer, more precise navigation.

“When eyes-off driving is active, the Escalade IQ will display turquoise lights on the dashboard and mirrors,” GM said. The visual cues will alert drivers and pedestrians that the vehicle is operating in autonomous mode. A small LIDAR bump will also be visible on the SUV’s roof.

GM hasn’t disclosed which supplier will provide the LIDAR units or how much the feature will cost, but it confirmed that the new system will expand to other GM models quickly after launch.

From Highways to Cities

Today, Super Cruise works on over 750,000 miles of mapped highways across the U.S. and Canada. But GM’s long-term goal is to take the system beyond highways and into urban environments.

“Eventually, your car will handle errands while you focus on more important things,” said Sterling Anderson, GM’s Chief Product Officer. “We’ll build incrementally and deploy safely—that’s the only way this works.”

To accelerate development, GM plans to integrate data and validation tools from Cruise, its former robotaxi division, adding more than 5 million miles of test data to the Super Cruise platform.

Building on a Proven Record

Since its 2017 debut, Super Cruise-equipped vehicles have logged over 700 million hands-free miles without a single crash attributed to the system, according to GM. Currently, the technology is available on 23 GM models, including Cadillacs, Chevrolets, and GMC trucks.

GM CEO Mary Barra emphasized that the company’s rollout pace will be “much faster than the first phase of Super Cruise,” now that supply chain issues have eased. The automaker expects adoption to grow rapidly as more vehicles come equipped with the necessary hardware.

Setting It Apart from Tesla and Mercedes

Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems rely entirely on cameras and still require constant driver attention. GM’s multi-sensor approach, in contrast, is designed for redundancy and safety.

“Unlike vision-only systems, GM’s solution combines LIDAR, radar, and cameras,” the company said. “These sensors create the perception layer, real-world data trains the AI model, and simulations validate performance under rare or hazardous conditions.”

Currently, only Mercedes-Benz’s Drive Pilot offers certified Level 3 eyes-off driving—but it’s limited to California and Nevada, below 40 mph, and in daylight. GM hopes to expand faster and further, though executives admit progress will depend on varying state regulations.

Toward a Fully Autonomous Future

GM’s ultimate goal is full vehicle autonomy—cars that drive themselves safely under any condition. “This is what connects today’s hands-free driving to tomorrow’s eyes-off driving,” said Dave Richardson, GM’s Senior VP of Software Engineering. “And eventually, to a world where the car truly drives itself.”

With eyes-off Super Cruise coming in 2028, GM appears ready to challenge Tesla, Mercedes, and every other player in the race toward a self-driving future.

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