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GM developed a new generation of full-function ABS (ABS-VI) that was economical enough to be applied on smaller vehicles and in every price range. GM then led the domestic industry in going across the board with available anti-lock brakes on all of its cars and trucks.

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GM became the first automaker to offer daytime running lamps, which are designed to improve the visibility of approaching vehicles during daylight, as standard equipment on all vehicles sold in the U.S.

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GM developed OnStar, the world’s first in-vehicle, hands-free voice communication system. OnStar uses global positioning and satellite telecommunications to link vehicle users to OnStar advisers, who provide a host of services ranging from driving directions to emergency assistance on a 24/7 basis. As of 2009, OnStar held 500 patents on its technology, had 6 million subscribers, was is in its eighth hardware generation, and was offered across GM’s North American product lineup.

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With the launch of the EV1 in the U.S., GM became the first automaker in modern times to market a car designed and engineered to run on electric power. GM had made headlines across the industry in 1990 with the debut of its predecessor, the Impact concept vehicle, which marked the beginning of an industry-wide effort to augment traditional automotive propulsion in order to further reduce emissions and improve fuel efficiency.

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GM managed the U.S. Department of Transportation’s NAHSC demonstration of automated vehicle and highway technology, which took place on a stretch of U.S. Interstate 15 in San Diego, California, in August 1997. As part of the demonstration, a fleet of specially equipped Buick LeSabres automatically traveled as a guided vehicle platoon, illustrating the system's ability to maintain smooth, safe, and efficient traffic flow in express lanes through busy urban areas.

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GM’s human-like Hybrid III crash-test dummies were declared the official frontal impact test device for occupant restraint compliance testing by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The Hybrid III became the official test device for frontal impact restraint regulation compliance across Europe the following year.

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Cadillac introduced the industry’s most advanced electronic stability control system to help drivers maintain or regain control of their vehicles at virtually all speeds and on virtually all road surfaces. The third-generation of the system debuted in 2008. Electronic stability control has been standard on all GM SUVs and vans since 2007. It will be a standard feature across GM’s entire North American retail product line by the end of 2010, ahead of the regulated standard.