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General Motors announces plans for eyes-off driving and conversational AI

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General Motors says it will introduce “eyes-off” driving capability and new conversational AI systems as part of its next generation of intelligent vehicles. The company described the technologies as key steps toward what it calls “personal autonomy”.

In a statement, GM said that in 2028 it plans to launch eyes-off driving on the Cadillac Escalade IQ (main image), starting with highway use. Turquoise lighting on the dashboard and exterior mirrors will signal when the system is active. “A turquoise light indicates hand-off operation,” the company said.

GM added that the system is built on “redundancy with lidar, radar, and cameras integrated into the vehicle’s design”. According to the company, this combination of sensor fusion, real-world driving data, and simulation “provides a safe, reliable, and highly capable eyes-off autonomous system”. [Read more…] about General Motors announces plans for eyes-off driving and conversational AI

General Motors and Nvidia partner to develop ‘next-generation’ vehicle manufacturing

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General Motors and Nvidia are collaborating on next-generation vehicles, factories and robots using AI, simulation and accelerated computing.

The companies will work together to build custom AI systems using Nvidia accelerated compute platforms, including Nvidia Omniverse with Nvidia Cosmos, to train AI manufacturing models for optimizing GM’s factory planning and robotics.

GM will also use Nvidia Drive AGX for in-vehicle hardware for future advanced driver-assistance systems and in-cabin enhanced safety driving experiences. [Read more…] about General Motors and Nvidia partner to develop ‘next-generation’ vehicle manufacturing

Opinion: Will autonomous cars ever gain regulatory approval to operate freely on public roads?

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The news that General Motors has decided to fold Cruise into its overall business should send shock waves through the industry. If Cruise can’t do it, with all its money and giant parent’s backing, who can?

Cruise is a relatively new startup which had huge optimism around it because several billion dollars were invested into it and a lot of people still believe autonomous cars are the future of global road traffic.

But after burning through $10 billion and only generating $500 million in revenue, Cruise seems to have lost its parent company’s confidence and has now been absorbed into the historic automotive giant, with its technology being repackaged into GM production cars as, essentially, an advanced driver assistance system called “Super Cruise”. [Read more…] about Opinion: Will autonomous cars ever gain regulatory approval to operate freely on public roads?

General Motors to shut down autonomous car developer Cruise despite $10 billion spend

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General Motors is planning to close down Cruise, its autonomous vehicle technology development business, after the startup had racked up expenses of approximately $10 billion while generating revenues of only $500 million.

The way GM announced the closure on its website was that it plans to “realign its autonomous driving strategy and prioritize development of advanced driver assistance systems on a path to fully autonomous personal vehicles”.

GM will build on the progress of Super Cruise, the company’s hands-off, eyes-on driving feature, now offered on more than 20 GM vehicle models and currently logging over 10 million miles per month. [Read more…] about General Motors to shut down autonomous car developer Cruise despite $10 billion spend

Is Rice a GMO Crop?

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Many people are increasingly concerned about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in their food, and rice is a staple in diets worldwide.

As consumers become more health-conscious and environmentally aware, it’s natural to wonder: Is rice a GMO crop?

Most rice varieties are not genetically modified. Currently, no GMO rice varieties are approved for commercial production or sale in the global market, including in the United States. [Read more…] about Is Rice a GMO Crop?

Autopilots in cars. What does the future hold for us?

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In modern life, a car is one of the most necessary things in our life, because it gives a sense of freedom and choice, which is so necessary for a sense of personal security and importance.

Therefore, car manufacturers are constantly trying to surprise their customers by adding new functions and technologies to their cars. Thus, the autopilot system begins to flood the car market, making the life of drivers much easier.

Among the main players in the self-driving car market are such popular manufacturers as Tesla, Waymo, General Motors, Ford, and BMW. Each of them is actively working on the modernization and improvement of autopilot systems in order to meet the needs of consumers as efficiently as possible.

[Read more…] about Autopilots in cars. What does the future hold for us?

GM-Honda begin commercial production at ‘industry’s first’ hydrogen fuel cell system manufacturing joint venture

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In what is being described as “a pivotal moment” in the commercialization of hydrogen fuel cell systems, GM and Honda have started production at their 50-50 joint venture production facility, FCSM.

FCSM is claimed to be “the first large-scale manufacturing joint venture to build fuel cells”.

FCSM was established in Brownstown, Michigan, in January 2017 based on a joint investment of $85 million. The 70,000-square-foot facility has already created 80 jobs. [Read more…] about GM-Honda begin commercial production at ‘industry’s first’ hydrogen fuel cell system manufacturing joint venture

General Motors and Red Hat partner to develop software-defined vehicles

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Automotive giant General Motors and open source software provider Red Hat have formed a partnership to “help advance software-defined vehicles at the edge”.

The companies expect to expand an ecosystem of innovation around the Red Hat In-Vehicle Operating System, which provides a functional-safety certified Linux operating system foundation intended for the ongoing evolution of GM’s Ultifi software platform.

The collaboration between Red Hat and GM is a significant moment in the convergence of the transportation and technology industries, with Red Hat’s cloud-native, enterprise-grade open source operating system accelerating the development of GM’s software-defined vehicle programs following Ultifi’s initial launch. [Read more…] about General Motors and Red Hat partner to develop software-defined vehicles

General Motors to invest $7 billion in Michigan facilities to ramp up electric vehicle production to 1 million units

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General Motors says it will invest more than $7 billion in four Michigan manufacturing sites, creating 4,000 new jobs and retaining 1,000, and significantly increasing battery cell and electric truck manufacturing capacity.

This is the single largest investment announcement in GM history. The investment includes construction of a new Ultium Cells battery cell plant in Lansing and the conversion of GM’s assembly plant in Orion Township, Michigan for production of the Chevrolet Silverado EV and the electric GMC Sierra, GM’s second assembly plant scheduled to build full-size electric pickups.

Mary Barra, GM chair and CEO, says: “We are taking the next step in our continuous work to establish GM’s EV leadership by making investments in our vertically integrated battery production in the US, and our North American EV production capacity. [Read more…] about General Motors to invest $7 billion in Michigan facilities to ramp up electric vehicle production to 1 million units

GM and LG invest $2.3 billion in second battery manufacturing plant in US

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Ultium Cells, a joint venture of LG Energy Solution and General Motors, is planning to make a “more than $2.3 billion investment” to build its second battery cell manufacturing plant in the United States. The facility will be located in Spring Hill, Tennessee.

Ultium Cells will build the new plant on land leased from GM. The new battery cell plant will create 1,300 new jobs. Construction on the approximately 2.8 million-square-foot facility will begin immediately, and the plant is scheduled to open in late 2023. Once operational, the facility will supply battery cells to GM’s Spring Hill assembly plant.

Mary Barra, GM chairman and CEO, says: “The addition of our second all-new Ultium battery cell plant in the US with our joint venture partner LG Energy Solution is another major step in our transition to an all-electric future. [Read more…] about GM and LG invest $2.3 billion in second battery manufacturing plant in US