GM Officially Cancels Ultra Cruise, Super Cruise Is Now The Main Focus

Hummer EV equipped with Super Cruise. (Doc. General Motors)

JAKARTA - After several months of delays in its development, the Ultra Cruise semi-automatic driving system project from General Motors (GM) was officially canceled.

This decision was taken by GM in order to focus more on the development of Super Cruise, a similar but more advanced technology system.

The reason behind the cancellation of Ultra Cruise, reported by CarBuzz, January 17, is allegedly related to the chaos faced by Cruise, a GM subsidiary engaged in autonomous taxis that has caused huge losses to the company.

The collision scandal in San Francisco forced GM to re-evaluate its approach to semi-automatic technology, and Super Cruise is considered a more solid option for now.

"GM does not reduce the development of driver assistance technology (ADAS). We are only re-allocated resources for Super Cruise to make it more capable," saidomel Harrison Jr., VP of Global Technological Communication GM.

Instead of developing two ADAS systems simultaneously, GM is now focusing its strength on Super Cruise. Hopefully, this system will be better known and liked by users.

Previously, many had been waiting for Ultra Cruise to arrive in Cadillac Celestiq. This system is predicted to look like a Super Cruise but can be used on most public roads in the US, including rural and urban areas. However, this hope must be dashed.

Shifting focus on Super Cruise is certainly disappointing for some. But, on the other hand, there is good news. Super Cruise will be embedded in more Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, and Buick cars in the near future.

Currently, only a few specific models are equipped with this technology, such as Cadillac Escalade, XT6, and Lyriq, as well as the Badminton Blazer EV, Silverado, Tahoe, Suburban, and GMC Sierra.

For information, GM vehicles equipped with Super Cruise can allow hands-free vehicle operation. The super Cruise works with OnStarmen and uses accurate dose cameras, sensors, GPS, and LiDAR map data in real-time to detect bends, which can help make long trips and trips comfortable and fun.

Meanwhile, on the one hand Mercedes and Hyundai are currently still leading the lead in semi-automatic Level 3 technology. And GM's Ultra Cruise driving assistance is actually still equivalent to Tesla's Full Self-Driving suite or Level 2 semi-automatic.

GM CEO Mary Barra's decision to focus on Super Cruise is expected to accelerate the autonomous driving technology race.

On the basis of a qualified Super Cruise, chasing behind on the autonomous car innovation stage shouldn't take long. We'll just have to wait for the next breakthrough from GM!