New safety technology is critical for modern vehicles, with a broad range of features on offer to keep drivers and passengers safe. Among these new features is Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), but now, General Motors has been called out as lagging when it comes to equipping nearly 100 percent of its passenger vehicles and light trucks with the feature.
Per a recent post from non-profit consumer organization Consumer Reports, just 58 percent of General Motors vehicles sold in 2021 were equipped with AEB. By contrast, several GM competitors already equip AEB on more than 95 percent of their respective 2021-model-year vehicles, including Ford, Honda, Subaru, Tesla, Audi, BMW, Volkswagen, and others. According to Consumer Reports, more than 12 major automakers equipped their respective 2021-model-year vehicles with AEB technology.
Consumer Reports also called out GM rival Stellantis, which reportedly equipped just 43 percent of its 2021-model-year vehicles with AEB.
Back in 2016, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) brokered a deal wherein automakers were asked to agree to a voluntary commitment to equip nearly all vehicles with AEB by production start of September 1st, 2022. According to the IIHS, the agreement could prevent 42,000 crashes and 20,000 injuries by 2025, assuming every automaker complies.
In a statement, General Motors spokesperson Stuart Fowle said that GM “remains on track to meet the industry commitment to automatic emergency braking” by the 2022 target date.
However, according to Consumer Reports manager of safety policy William Wallace, time is of the essence.
“Delays like this send a terrible message to customers about how much these companies value safety – especially at a time when more people than ever are being injured or killed on our roads,” Wallace said. “Stellantis and GM have had more than five years to get their act together, and it’s long past time for them to make this lifesaving technology standard, instead of forcing customers to pay extra for their safety.”
For now, General Motors is certainly making progress to equip more vehicles with AEB. Between the 2021 model year and 2022 model year, the percentage of GM vehicles equipped as standard with AEB rose from 42 percent to 66 percent, while the total GM vehicles with AEB (either standard or optional) rose from 75 percent to 77 percent. Check out a full breakdown in the table below:
| 2021MY | 2022MY | |
|---|---|---|
| Buick Enclave | A | S |
| Buick Encore | - | - |
| Buick Encore GX | S | S |
| Buick Envision | S | S |
| Cadillac CT4 | S | S |
| Cadillac CT5 | S | S |
| Cadillac Escalade | S | S |
| Cadillac XT4 | S | S |
| Cadillac XT5 | S | S |
| Cadillac XT6 | S | S |
| Chevy Blazer | A | S |
| Chevy Bolt EUV | S | |
| Chevy Bolt EV | A | S |
| Chevy Camaro | - | - |
| Chevy Colorado | - (A fleet only) | - (A fleet only) |
| Chevy Corvette | - | - |
| Chevy Equinox | S | S |
| Chevy Express | - | - |
| Chevy Malibu | A | A |
| Chevy Silverado 1500 | A | S |
| Chevy Silverado HD | A | A |
| Chevy Spark | A | A |
| Chevy Suburban | S | S |
| Chevy Tahoe | S | S |
| Chevy Trailblazer | S | S |
| Chevy Traverse | A | S |
| Chevy Trax | - | - |
| GMC Acadia | A | S |
| GMC Canyon | - | - |
| GMC Hummer EV pickup | S | |
| GMC Savana | - | - |
| GMC Sierra 1500 | A | S |
| GMC Sierra HD | A | A |
| GMC Terrain | S | S |
| GMC Yukon | S | S |
| GM models with standard AEB | 42 percent | 66 percent |
| GM models with available AEB | 33 percent | 11 percent |
| Total GM models with AEB | 75 percent | 77 percent |
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Comments
Auto braking is a mixed bag. While in some cases it may help many cases it will not.
Also it is not a perfect system from any company. Mine is a pain as it detects a shado and will slam on the brakes when I pull in the garage.
Sorry but you can’t replace active intervention and personal responsibility with a bunch of electronics. Even auto pilot still requires the pilots to remain engaged.
Note that Silverado/Sierra HD, Express/Savana, and Hummer EV do not require AEB under NHTSA rules because they are >8500 GVWR. (They don’t require airbags either)
So if two heavy duty GM trucks meet head on, none will brake and both drivers will be killed. Mutual destruction indeed!
Have it on my Ford F-150 hybrid. Works well
Enough but a little disconcerting when it activates.Could not see wanting this on my C8 Z51. Some cars are
meant to be pushed others, like my truck are not. Both are great vehicles, have wholly different missions.
GM still has a majority of its trims without standard safety measures/features that an overwhelming majority have…..
I have auto braking and a few other features on my other cars and absolutely hate them as they are inconsistent and not 100% reliable. I love absence of these on my C8.
I agree. Fortunately there is a button I can push to turn off the braking in reverse on my Jeep
GM is usually behind other manufactures on standard features. That is why their market share has been on a steady decline.
Perhaps in the US but not in China which is the most important market in the world. They are the leading brand in China and making $$$.
My goodness don’t insult Corvette owners with automatic braking they like to be in control. TSK TSK
Not surprised the bottom line is China!. How many of them made there have it??
More bullcrap to take control away from the driver.
All I can say, saved me a fender bender on my 2014 ATS! I hear all your rationale about driver responsibility, but as long as we are humans we will have mental lapses and accidents!
Have this on my Toyota Highlander and like it. The biggest reason why I’d like it though is that it would then incorporate the hardware and architecture for adaptive cruise control, which I really wish my C8 had. But since it’ll require more chips – probably not on the near horizon.
it is interesting they would use a corvette for the pictures, when the story is not about a corvette. i am one of those people that am not a fan of consumer reports. I do agree that GM is years behind in tech and always has. I may not want emergency braking, but my Toyota has a fantastic feature in the cruise control that follows that car in front, slowing and speeding up with the other cars, sure has made highway driving more relaxing. To not have this on my 2021 Corvette is a disappointment. I am a fan of safety. The corvette is a great car.
Yup. The Corvette not mentioned once but the proliferation of Corvette pictures alludes to it as the focus. Sorry to say that borders on deceptive journalism.
My 2016 Malibu has it and works great!!!
I would like to see adaptive cruise control on my C8. I have it on all of my other cars, and it makes driving in cruise so much safer. I was hoping it could be a software update.
We would not buy any car without the latest safety features. We love the adaptive cruise control.
Not news that gm is lagging. They are seldom leaders.
Do you mean to say that the C8 does not have adaptive cruise!????????
Surprising as that may seem – no it does not.
No. It has cruise control and it’s quite good and easy to use. But it doesn’t automatically adapt to the speed of traffic in front of you.
The government mandates of this equipment is its admission it s authorizing people who are unqualified to drive automobiles on an open road. Driving tests are local jokes and rarely involve operating on Interstate Highways. Worse yet, once a person obtains a license they never face re-testing! When I was flying I knew my contemporaries were well qualified, We were flight tested once a year for co-pilots and twice for captains. We all flew with the knowledge the most dangerous part of any flight is the trip to and from the airport. Auto braking? Operating an automobile or truck is too important to be left to people who ignore that principal. Breathalizers should be replaced by I Q testing machines.
Responding to the comment about GM lagging behind other manufacturers, most GM cars have had automatic daytime running lights for years. Countless times you’ll see a car driving in the rain or in other poor light conditions without any lights on. More often than not it is a Ford. When it comes to basic safety items, maybe Ford should’ve started there first!
To whom it may concern.
I personally would NOT buy any vehicle with emergency braking.!
Good,I hate that BS “new” tech,they can shove it.I don’t need a computer to tell me when to brake and brake for me.If you need electronic sensors and equipment to help you drive you suck as a driver.They can shove the auto pilot garbage too.