Asian Tech Press (Jan 7) -- The veteran automaker General Motors Co. (GM) said on Thursday that three chips from Qualcomm Inc. will power the advanced driver-assistance feature "Ultra Cruise" on a luxury Cadillac sedan next year.

As reported by Reuters, the Qualcomm chips will provide the computing power for the all-electric Cadillac Celestiq, GM's planned flagship sedan.

And the U.S. automaker said Ultra Cruise will allow hands-free driving on surface streets and highways, which make up 95% of U.S. and Canadian roads, surpassing GM's current Super Cruise feature that only works on highways.

It is said that GM will be the first company to use Qualcomm's Snapdragon Ride platform to enable advanced driver-assistance technology.

GM also said that Super Cruise is expected to be available on 22 GM-branded models by 2023, while Ultra Cruise will enter production in 2023, with the Ultium-based Cadillac Celestiq ultra-luxury sedan in being one of the first models to be equipped with the technology.

The deal is also a milestone for Qualcomm, which dominates the mobile phone chip sector and has been diversifying its business.