GM CEO: We're making leaps and bounds toward 'eyes-off, hands-off' driving

• General Motors CEO Mary Barra said the automaker is still on track to introduce "eyes-off, hands-off" driving technology by 2028, starting with the electric Cadillac Escalade IQ.
• After exiting its Cruise robotaxi business, GM is focusing on autonomous technology for personal vehicles.

General Motors CEO Mary Barra said Monday that the automaker remains on track to introduce "eyes-off, hands-off" driving technology by 2028.

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 to other models. Unlike the company's existing Super Cruise system, which allows drivers to take their hands off the wheel but requires them to remain 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 recently tested the technology and was impressed 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," the CEO said. "We're going to be well positioned from a personal autonomy perspective." She added, "When people want to drive, they can. When they don't, they won't need to as that grows."

GM's push into personal autonomous driving follows its decision to exit its Cruise robotaxi business in December 2024 after spending more than $10 billion. Rather than compete in the increasingly crowded driverless ride-hailing market, the automaker redirected its resources toward developing 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 exiting 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 against 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."