General Motors (GM) is set to expand access to its Super Cruise hands-free driving system, allowing drivers to utilize the advanced driver assistance system on approximately 750,000 miles of roads in the United States and Canada. This expansion, slated to nearly double the Super Cruise network by 2025, will encompass rural and minor highways that often link smaller cities and townships.
Key Takeaway
GM is expanding its Super Cruise hands-free driving system to include rural and minor highways, nearly doubling the network by 2025. The system utilizes advanced technology to provide a hands-free driving experience, with the ability to make automatic lane changes and operate while towing a trailer.
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems Competition
The move comes as automakers are increasingly pushing the boundaries of advanced driver assistance systems in a bid to attract customers and generate revenue beyond vehicle sales. GM’s Super Cruise utilizes a combination of lidar map data, high-precision GPS, cameras, radar sensors, and a driver attention system to ensure the person behind the wheel is watching the road. When activated, the system will accelerate or brake to maintain a selected following distance from a vehicle ahead, steer to keep its lane position, and make automatic lane changes to pass slower traffic. Notably, the system also has the ability to be deployed while towing a trailer.
Expanded Network and Exclusions
The expanded Super Cruise network will not be accessible to owners of the Cadillac CT6, Chevrolet Bolt EUV, and Cadillac XT6, according to the company. Unlike Tesla’s Autopilot driver assistance system, users of Super Cruise do not need to have their hands on the wheel, but their eyes must be directed straight ahead. Ford offers a competing hands-free system called Blue Cruise that launched in 2021.
GM’s Super Cruise Evolution
Super Cruise was initially launched in 2017 as the industry’s first true hands-free ADAS on the market. However, GM’s limited access to the system hindered its widespread adoption. For three years, the system was only available on one model, the Cadillac CT6, and was restricted to certain divided highways. GM has gradually expanded its Super Cruise highway network, first growing to 200,000 miles and then doubling it to 400,000 in 2022. Today, 15 vehicles globally have Super Cruise, including the Chevy Bolt EUV, Chevy Suburban, Chevy Tahoe, Chevy Silverado, the GM Hummer EV SUV, and all Cadillac models. The Super Cruise with trailering feature will be offered in new models like the 2024 Chevrolet Traverse or 2024 GMC Acadia.
