This year, new technologies will enable more drivers to take their hands off the wheel while on the road. But that doesn't mean their cars will be fully self-driving -- that day still remains far in the future. Automakers like General Motors (GM), Ford (F) and Stellantis (the company formed in the recent merger of Fiat Chrysler and Groupe PSA) are introducing -- or upgrading existing -- technologies that allow drivers to completely take their hands off the steering wheel and pull their feet away from the pedals for long stretches of time. But these systems will still be limited in their capabilities. Drivers will still be required to pay constant attention to the road, for instance.

General Motors is inching closer to self-driving vehicles with the introduction of a new feature that will enable some Cadillacs to change lanes on their own. GM announced Tuesday it's upgrading its Super Cruise system to enable automated lane changing. The technology will safely change lanes when drivers signal they'd like to do so. Super Cruise already enables hands-free driving on fully mapped highways. It keeps the car centered in its lane, brakes, accelerates and notifies drivers when they must take over the controls.

It turns out that, whether it's Waymo's self-driving cars or the many auto manufacturers relying on tech from Intel Corp.'s INTC -1.27% Mobileye, so-called "autonomous" vehicles are cheating, in a way. This is also true of models that are already commercially available, such as Cadillacs with Super Cruise. Rather than perceiving the world and deciding on the fly what to do next, these autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles are comparing their glimpses of the world with a map stored in memory. The incredibly detailed maps they rely on are what engineers call a "world model" of the environment. The model contains things that don't change very often, from the edges of roads and lanes to the placement of stop signs, signals, crosswalks and other infrastructure.

Intel's autonomous driving unit just landed a big contract. Israeli tech firm Mobileye has signed a deal to supply eight million cars at a European automaker with its self-driving technologies, a company official told Reuters. Financial terms of the deal and the identity of the automaker were not revealed. Israeli tech firm Mobileye has signed a deal to supply eight million cars at a European automaker with its self-driving technologies. The deal marks one of the largest yet for Mobileye and is a sign of how carmakers and suppliers are accelerating the introduction of features that automate certain driving tasks, like highway driving and emergency braking, to generate revenue.

Cadillac is in the middle of a massive marketing campaign to introduce its new Super Cruise. The semi-autonomous driving system, available only on the CT6 luxury sedan, is being billed as offering the "first true hands-free driving on the freeway." The car company has sent CT6 sedans literally across the country, holding events in multiple U.S. cities, offering auto journalists short Super Cruise seminars followed by a turn behind the wheel. The system is highly sophisticated. Using a combination of Lidar, high-resolution GPS and a Driver Attention System that monitors the driver, Super Cruise will allow the car -- on certain roads, under certain conditions -- to travel great distances without any steering wheel input by its operator.

General Motors' Cadillac luxury brand is embarking on a cross-country drive to show off its version of a car that almost drives itself on the freeway. A dozen Cadillac CT6 sedans will leave the brand's New York headquarters Monday and head for Los Angeles as cars with the'Super Cruise' system start arriving at dealerships. Cadillac calls Super Cruise the first hands-free driver-assist system for freeways. General Motors' Cadillac luxury brand is embarking on a cross-country drive to show off its version of a car that almost drives itself on the freeway. A dozen Cadillac CT6 sedans will leave the brand's New York headquarters Monday and head for Los Angeles According to Cadillac, Super Cruise is'the world's first true hands-free driving system for the freeway.'