GM Uses AI to Halve Vehicle Development Time by 2028

General Motors plans to use artificial intelligence (AI) and redesigned vehicle computing systems to accelerate product development, lower electric vehicle costs and introduce hands-free highway driving that allows drivers to take their eyes off the road. The Detroit-based automaker outlined the strategy at its GM Forward event in New York on October 21, 2026, as it seeks to compete with faster-moving Chinese manufacturers and respond to changing demand in the US market.

GM aims to reduce the time needed to develop a vehicle from the traditional four to five years to approximately two years. The company has not provided a firm deadline for achieving that target, according to CNBC. Its plans combine AI, virtual testing and closer coordination among design, engineering and manufacturing teams.

Sterling Anderson, GM's chief product officer, said the changes are intended to improve vehicle quality while reducing development costs and delays. In an interview with The New York Times, he said, "The faster we can iterate, the better our products become," and added, "We are developing better products faster at lower costs."

GM said its engineers virtually evaluated more than 300,000 designs for lithium manganese-rich (LMR) batteries before constructing a physical prototype. According to the company, the process moved the battery pack from its initial concept to formal program approval in one month. Anderson said LMR chemistry would be used exclusively in GM's fourth-generation electric vehicles.

President Mark Reuss reaffirmed the company's commitment to electric vehicles despite weaker-than-expected consumer adoption and reductions in planned EV investment. Reuss said, "We continue to develop our future EVs and work to reduce battery costs," and added, "And when the U.S. market is ready for EVs in large numbers, we will be there."

GM's next-generation electric vehicles are expected to be up to 15% lighter and 25% more aerodynamic, with more compact motors and battery packs. The company also plans propulsion systems with 40% fewer parts than current designs, according to its GM Forward announcement.

GM Chief Executive Mary Barra described the broader technology initiative as a step toward a new generation of vehicles. "All of these developments are building us the car of the future," Barra said at the event.

The automaker also plans a major overhaul of its vehicle computing architecture. The new system is expected to deliver 40 times the computing power and up to 50% faster cellular connectivity than previous systems, supporting software updates, onboard diagnostics, in-cabin AI and automated driving. GM said the architecture will also reduce wiring length and mass by 30%.

The technology is scheduled to debut in the Cadillac Escalade IQ in 2028 before expanding to additional vehicles, including full-size SUVs, light-duty pickups, three-row crossovers and fourth-generation EVs. GM said the shared architecture will support both electric and combustion-powered models.

Anderson, who previously worked at Tesla, said GM's engineering transformation had progressed significantly. "Over the last 12 months, we've evolved how we design, engineer and build our vehicles," he said. He also argued that faster development could improve technical performance, telling CNBC, "There's inherent virtue to speed," and explaining that the benefit extends beyond bringing vehicles to market sooner.

GM also plans to expand its OnStar services with an AI assistant designed to answer vehicle-specific questions and help drivers manage vehicle functions. The assistant is scheduled to arrive in the 2027 Cadillac LYRIQ through an over-the-air update, with additional models to follow. The company said OnStar serves more than 12 million subscribers across 22 markets and that its advisors handle more than 20 million calls annually in North America.

According to GM, a unified OnStar mobile app is planned for 2027. It will replace existing OnStar Guardian and Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC vehicle apps, bringing vehicle management, connected camera functions and safety features into one service. The company said customers will be able to choose which privacy-related features they activate and change those settings.

GM is also targeting eyes-off highway driving beginning with the Cadillac Escalade IQ in 2028. The company said it has begun testing preproduction vehicles on closed courses and intends to extend the capability to selected gasoline-powered SUVs and pickups. GM cited 1.2 billion miles driven by customers using Super Cruise as part of its accumulated safety experience.

Anderson told WIRED that GM wants vehicles to make travel time more useful and comfortable. He said the company aims to "make it more productive, make it more relaxing, make it more engaging. We’d like to make your vehicle a more central, more useful part of your life than it has been historically."

Anderson also criticized driver-assistance systems that require constant driver attention, arguing that they can create the appearance of autonomy without delivering its full benefits. He said such an approach "presents the illusion of autonomy without its benefits," and warned that it "comes with the direct expense of the safety of your vehicle and the people around you." He added, "That would not be a responsible way to operate."

GM's longer-term vision includes vehicles that could eventually handle routine errands, such as collecting groceries or transporting family members. The company described the cabin as a place to "relax, work, and unwind. … In time, this will pave the way for a future where your car can take on everyday errands."

Anderson acknowledged that autonomous vehicles capable of operating without occupants could create broader transportation challenges. "You will very likely incur more of those robots on the roads. And so there's a lot of societal and infrastructural considerations to make here," he told WIRED. He added, "I wouldn't call this an imminent thing, but it certainly is something we should be thinking about."