Cadillac Escalade IQ Getting Lidar-Powered, Eyes-Off Highway Cruising in 2028

General Motors on Wednesday announced a cutting-edge upgrade to its inbound highway driver-assistance technology. In 2028, GM will add eyes-off highway driving to its bag of tricks, starting with the full-electric Escalade IQ SUV.

GM's current Super Cruise system has been my favorite highway driving assistance tech for years now. The system uses a combination of radar sensors, camera and GPS to enable hands-free driving assistance on select highways that have been lidar-mapped with high-resolution data. Super Cruise requires the driver to be attentive, watching the road and prepared to take over when the unexpected happens and uses a driver-facing camera to ensure this requirement is met. The next-generation technology announced today will remove that requirement.