Overview
- At its GM Forward event on Wednesday, GM said the new OnStar AI assistant will roll out via an over‑the‑air update to 2027 Cadillac Lyriq owners in the coming months and that a single OnStar smartphone app will replace separate brand apps in 2027.
- GM disclosed a new centralized vehicle computer that it says delivers about 40 times more processing power and 30 percent less wiring and will first appear on the Cadillac Escalade IQ in 2028 to support richer software and OTA updates.
- The company used AI and large‑scale virtual testing of more than 300,000 designs to choose a lithium‑manganese‑rich (LMR) battery chemistry that it says boosts energy density by roughly 33 percent and will be produced at Ultium Cells’ Spring Hill plant.
- GM plans to expand its 'eyes‑off' highway driving beyond the Escalade IQ to high‑volume pickups and large SUVs, and it says connected cameras, encrypted uploads and human OnStar agents for emergencies will remain part of the system.
- Executives framed the program as a push to cut development time roughly in half and build recurring digital revenue, while analysts and advocates note execution risk and open questions about safety, liability and road use impacts.