GM has announced its next generation autonomous driving software, Ultra Cruise, covering 95% of driving scenarios.

Automakers the world over are racing to develop and deploy autonomous driving software. While Tesla gets the lion’s share of press, GM has quietly been making major improvements to its software.

The company has announced Ultra Cruise, its next generation system that will cover 2 million miles of roads in the US and Canada at lunch, and has the ability to grow to 3.4 million miles. GM says the software provides a true hands-free experience for 95% of driving scenarios.

“Ultra Cruise is not just a game changer in terms of what it enables ­− a door-to-door hands-free driving experience − but a technological one as well,” said Doug Parks, GM executive vice president of Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain. “It’s been developed completely in-house.”

Rather than rely on a single type of sensing technology, GM opted to use cameras, radar and LiDAR, as well as integrated LiDAR behind the windshield.

“We believe that the combination of different sensors, or sensor fusion, leads to the most robust hands-free driver-assist system for our customers,” said Parks.

Ultra Cruise will start rolling out in 2023 on select models, with Cadillac leading the way.