GM creates self-driving car team

DETROIT -- To accelerate efforts to get self-driving vehicle technology on the road, General Motors is creating a team to focus on autonomous vehicles starting on Monday..

The dedicated team is being formed under Doug Parks, who will shift from vice president of global product programs to the new position of vice president of autonomous technology and vehicle execution. Parks reports to Mark Reuss, head of global product development.

The new Autonomous and Technology Vehicle Development Team will recruit from across GM with a mandate to map out a strategy that includes engineering as well as identifying investments and partnerships to ensure leadership in self-driving technology.

It signals GM's move from viewing autonomous driving as a research project to a product under development. The automaker has advanced technology on the road now and next year will add the Super Cruise system in the new Cadillac CT6 that lets you take your hands off the wheel and cruise.

GM Delays Launch of Semi-Autonomous Driving Technology

General Motors has pushed back the rollout of its Super Cruise semi-autonomous driving feature that will debut on the Cadillac CT6. According to a report from Automotive News, the automaker needs more time to perfect the technology.

“Getting the technology right and doing it safely is most important, so the exact month of introduction cannot be announced at this time,” GM told the publication. The automaker didn’t give a specific reason for the delay.

Originally, GM targeted a fall 2016 launch for Super Cruise, but now, the technology is set to arrive sometime in 2017. Super Cruise will be capable of hands-free lane following, braking, and speed control at higher speeds as well as in stop-and-go traffic. But it doesn’t allow for fully autonomous driving, as it simply aims to ease a driver’s workload behind the wheel.

The delay comes just as Tesla releases its Autopilot semi-autonomous driving technology. At the launch, Tesla said the software update was more of a “public beta” and that drivers should still exercise caution and keep their hands on the wheel when using the semi-autonomous features, which include automated lane changing and steering. Still, that hasn’t stopped YouTube hooligans from posting videos of themselves doing risky things inside the semi-autonomous cars. Tesla recently released an update that places more boundaries on Autopilot’s autonomous functions.