GM’s Self-Drive System On Track for 2020 Debut

General Motors Co. says its Super Cruise system, which promises nearly autonomous driving, should be ready for production by the end of the decade. The company forecasts a price close to the $3,000 customers currently pay for the less powerful driver assist features available in a 2014 Cadillac.

GM is testing Cadillac SRX prototypes that feature the company's latest combination of radar, ultrasonic sensors, cameras and GPS map data to enable a vehicle to automatically control its speed, braking and in-lane steering.

Super Cruise, which is similar to active cruise controls already offered by some luxury carmakers, is designed to work in bumper-to-bumper traffic and on freeways. GM's version may permit hands-free driving at low speed but will require the driver to hold the wheel at higher speeds.

BMW and Daimler's Mercedes-Benz division already offer low-speed systems for the 2014 model year that actively turn the steering wheel and operate pedals in traffic jams. Both expect to have hands-free, feet-free software that can handle highway driving within a few years.

Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. also is planning to deliver fully self-driving cars using technology called Autonomous Drive by the end of the decade.