GM Unveils Flying, Self-Driving Cadillac at CES 2021

The single-passenger Cadillac will be able to travel from one rooftop to another in cities.

Advertisement
By Reuters | Updated: 13 January 2021 10:41 IST
Highlights
  • The flying Cadillac was presented by Chief Executive Mary Barra
  • The concepts in CES video were introduced by GM design chief Mike Simcoe
  • GM shares were up 5.8 percent in early afternoon trade

Two futuristic Cadillac concepts, an electric shuttle and autonomous vertical take-off and landing drone

General Motors on Tuesday presented a futuristic flying Cadillac - a self-driving vehicle which takes off and lands vertically and carries the passenger above the streets and through the air.

A senior GM executive described the concept as "reimagining the future of personal transportation".

The single-passenger Cadillac - technically, a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drone - will be able to travel from urban rooftop to urban rooftop at speeds up to 55 miles per hour.

Advertisement

It is fully fully autonomous and all-electric, with a 90kW motor, a GM Ultium battery pack and an ultra-lightweight body with four pairs of rotors.

The flying Cadillac was presented in a video as part of a virtual keynote presentation by Chief Executive Mary Barra, along with a family-friendly Cadillac electric shuttle.

Barra last year revealed the automaker was exploring such alternative transportation modes as aerial taxis.

Advertisement

The concepts in the CES video were introduced by GM design chief Mike Simcoe, who described the VTOL as "the Cadillac of urban air mobility".

"VTOL is key to GM's vision for a multimodal future," he said.

Advertisement

The autonomous Cadillac shuttle, described in the video as "arriving soon," features a boxy silhouette that recalls the Cruise Origin, also designed by Simcoe's team. It features fore and aft sliding doors and a panoramic glass roof.

The cabin has wraparound lounge-like seating, plus biometric sensors, voice control and hand gesture recognition.

Advertisement

GM declined to disclose further details.

Other automakers, including Toyota Motor, Hyundai Motor, and Geely Automobile, have previously have shown concept aerial vehicles as part of their future planning.

GM declined to disclose further details.

GM shares were up 5.8 percent to $47.62 (roughly Rs. 3,500) in early afternoon trade.

© Thomson Reuters 2020


What will be the most exciting tech launch of 2021? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.
 

Catch the latest from the Consumer Electronics Show on Gadgets 360, at our CES 2026 hub.

Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Samsung Galaxy S26 Series Launch Date Surfaces Ahead of Unpacked Event
  2. Here's How Much the Motorola Signature Could Cost in India
  3. Oppo Reno 15 FS 5G Launched With 6,500mAh Battery, Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 SoC
  4. Amazon Great Republic Day Sale: Discounts on HP, Lenovo, and More Laptops
  5. Apple Pay Could Soon Be Available in India With Tap-to-Pay Support: Report
  6. Realme Neo 8 Pricing and Memory Configurations Leaked Ahead of Launch
  1. iQOO 15 Ultra Design and Colourways Revealed Ahead of Launch in China
  2. Samsung Galaxy S26 Launch Date, Pre-Order Timeline Tipped Ahead of Galaxy Unpacked Next Month
  3. Shambala Now Streaming Online: What You Need to Know About Aadi Saikumar Starrer Movie
  4. Deepinder Goyal to Step Down as Eternal CEO; Blinkit’s Albinder Dhindsa Named Successor
  5. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella Says AI’s Real Test Is Whether It Reaches Beyond Big Tech: Report
  6. Meta's New AI Team Delivered First Key Models Internally This Month, CTO Says
  7. Apple Pay Reportedly Likely to Launch in India Soon; iPhone Maker Said to Be in Talks With Card Networks
  8. Netflix Will Now Pay All Cash for Warner Bros. to Keep Paramount at Bay
  9. Xbox Game Pass Wave 2 Lineup for January Announced: Death Stranding Director's Cut, Space Marine 2 and More
  10. Best Laser Printers with Scanners That You Can Buy in India Right Now
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2026. All rights reserved.