How GM’s Cruise AV works

General Motors Co. has pulled the curtain off its plans for a fleet of self-driving vehicles that will hit U.S. roads in 2019.

A sweeping self-driving safety report released Friday details GM’s approach to creating a fleet of autonomous electric vehicles the company has named the “Cruise AV,” which the company says brings together the manufacturing expertise of the Motor City and the software experience from Silicon Valley.

Riders will use a Cruise AV mobile-app to hail the cars, which will launch in one unnamed U.S. city next year. Here’s what they’ll experience:

■Touchscreen tablets inside the cars show progress on a map.

■Seat belts must be buckled and doors closed before the cars start to move.

■If riders forget to close the door when exiting, the Cruise AV can automatically close it.

■If something goes wrong, riders can talk with remote-support by pushing a button.

■There’s an emergency button to end the ride quickly. The car will pull over at the next safest spot.

■If a rider leaves a bag, phone or other belonging behind, support staff will contact the rider to arrange a return.

■If there’s a crash, OnStar immediately is connected with two-way response and can gauge the severity of injuries based on feedback from the car. If the vehicle is involved in a crash, it will automatically apply the brakes and bring the vehicle to a stop in a “controlled manner.”

ithibodeau@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @Ian_Thibodeau