GM on Track for 'Eyes-Off, Hands-Off' Driving by 2028, CEO Barra Says

GM announced last October that it plans to launch its next-generation driver-assistance system in the electric Cadillac Escalade IQ in 2028 before expanding it to other models. Unlike the company's existing Super Cruise system, which lets drivers take their hands off the wheel but requires them to stay attentive, the new technology is designed to let drivers take their eyes off the road under certain conditions.

Barra told CNBC's Jim Cramer on "Mad Money" that she had recently tested the technology and was struck by how much it had improved since an earlier ride in March. "They're making so much progress on our goal to have eyes off, hands off in the '28 time frame," she said. "We're going to be well positioned from a personal autonomy perspective."

She added that drivers will keep the option of taking control. "When people want to drive, they can. When they don't, they won't need to as that grows."

The push into personal autonomous driving follows GM's decision in December 2024 to exit its Cruise robotaxi business, after spending more than $10 billion on the unit. Rather than compete in the crowded driverless ride-hailing market, the automaker redirected its resources toward autonomous systems for vehicles consumers own. "We're not in the taxi business. We're not in the bus business," Barra said.

She acknowledged that leaving the robotaxi market was difficult but defended the move, noting that GM retained much of the Cruise team to work on personal autonomous driving. "It was a tough decision, but I think it was the right decision," she said.

Barra also pushed back on the idea that widespread adoption of autonomous vehicles could eventually reduce the need for personal car ownership. She recalled earlier predictions that ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft would sharply reduce vehicle sales, something that never materialized because "people still value that it's in my driveway. I can go wherever I want, whenever I want."