GM's AV Course: Good-bye Cruise, Hello Super Cruise

After gutting its robotaxi dreams and shutting down its Cruise autonomous ride hailing department, GM is reportedly back ramping up its efforts to produce self-driving cars -- this time focusing on vehicles consumers can buy.

GM already boasts the best available semi-autonomous driving system in the U.S., its Super Cruise package. It relies on pre-recorded lidar data of roads and highways where owners of various GM vehicles with the Super Cruise option can drive hands- and feet-free. Ford offers a similar option it calls Blue Cruise. (Meanwhile, Tesla, which relies primarily on video camera data has struggled to advance its system and has been beset by lawsuits over fatal accidents.)

After effectively terminating its Cruise robotaxi division last year, GM's plans going forward looked uncertain regarding autonomous vehicles. However, recent reports indicate it is bringing back some of those engineers to work on its consumer oriented self-driving vehicles.

Several outlets described it as an effort to restart the automaker's self-driving program, but it fact it never stopped. Super Cruise has been expanding as an available option across much of the manufacturer's line, from Caddies to club cabs. The new hires, if accurately reported, could help boost what has already been a successful system and bring it to more driving situations, including city driving and secondary roads.