General Motors unveils plans for 'eyes-off' vehicle in 2028

At an event dubbed "GM Forward," the giant US automaker said Gemini would enable drivers to "talk to your car as naturally as you would to a fellow passenger," while the Cadillac Escalade would be capable of "eyes-off driving" in three years.

GM said it had already mapped 600,000 miles of "hands-free" roads in North America for its "Super Cruise" technology, which requires an attentive driver, "without a single reported crash attributed to the system."

Now it is promising to add eyes-off to hands-free.

"This combination of technology, scale, a decade of real-world deployment experience, and safety systems developed and tested for Super Cruise gives us the foundation to deliver the phase of personal autonomy," GM said.

The Escalade, an electric sport utility vehicle, will also feature a computing platform that updates every major system in the vehicle, from propulsion and steering to infotainment and safety.

On Tuesday, GM shares surged nearly 15 percent after it lifted some full-year projections following better-than-expected third-quarter results.

Shares of GM rose 0.5 percent in morning trading on Wednesday.