Hands-free driving technology is coming to the 2021 Cadillac Escalade and the brand's CMO says it's part of GM's effort to steer the luxury SUV market closer to self-driving
The feature is called Super Cruise and fully controls acceleration and braking when enabled. It can also automatically change lanes by activating a turn signal stalk in either direction.
In the mode, the car will also automatically adjust its position within a lane for driver comfort when another vehicle passes.
"There is a moment when you take your hands off the wheel and it's terrifying and exhilarating and then you never know how you lived without it," Melissa Grady, chief marketing officer at Cadillac, told Cheddar.
Super Cruise only works on compatible highways that have lanes physically separated from opposing traffic. That includes 200,000 miles of highway in the U.S. in Canada, according to GM.
It's worth noting that the Escalade is not an autonomous vehicle. The car still alerts drivers when a situation emerges that they must resume control. But it does seem to be a step in that direction.
The new tech signals GM's desire to keep up with changing consumer expectations toward driver-assist and self-driving technologies.
"With any product, you're looking at 'what are the next 10 years going to bring and how do we really go beyond what we can even imagine as consumers?'" Grady said.
Nestlé has dismissed its CEO Laurent Freixe after an investigation into an undisclosed relationship with a direct subordinate. The company announced on Monday that the dismissal was effective immediately. An investigation found that Freixe violated Nestlé’s code of conduct. He had been CEO for a year. Philipp Navratil, a longtime Nestlé executive, will replace him. Chairman Paul Bulcke stated that the decision was necessary to uphold the company’s values and governance. Navratil began his career with Nestlé in 2001 and has held various roles, including CEO of Nestlé's Nespresso division since 2024.
Kraft Heinz is splitting into two companies a decade after they joined in a massive merger that created one of the biggest food companies on the planet. One of the companies will include brands such as Heinz, Philadelphia cream cheese and Kraft Mac & Cheese. The other will include brands like Oscar Mayer, Kraft Singles and Lunchables. When the company formed in 2015 it wanted to capitalize on its massive scale, but shifting tastes complicated those plans, with households seeking to introduce healthier options at the table. Kraft Heinz's net revenue has fallen every year since 2020.
