GM testing autonomous technologies on Cadillac cars on Israeli roads

General Motors' development center is carrying out trials on public roads in Israel of prototypes of Cadillacs with high-level autonomous driving systems. Ministry of Transport chief scientist Dr. Shay Soffer took part in one of the trials on the Ayalon Highway, Gil Golan, CEO of General Motors Israel's advanced development center, today revealed at the CARS 2018 auto conference, sponsored by the Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce and "Globes," which opened yesterday.

Golan did not say which models of the brand were involved, but they are probably Cadillac's luxury and field vehicles equipped with the new Super Cruise autonomous system unveiled by GM in the US several months ago. The system, which is currently offered as a $5,000 option for a number of models of the brand in the US market, enables a vehicle to cruise without the driver's intervention on high-speed roads, including overtaking, emergency braking, and moderate turns.

According to overseas sources, a considerable proportion of the advanced system's development and its next generations is taking place in the advanced development center in Herzliya. Golan says that the center in Israel is now developing technologies for vehicles that will reach the market in 2-5 years, as part of GM's vision of focusing on an electric vehicle and fully autonomous vehicles, which will be first offered in 2019 for public transportation, and afterwards also for the private market.