General Motors has announced an expansion of its Super Cruise technology, aiming to extend the feature’s functionality to include minor highways in addition to the existing network of compatible roads. This expansion will nearly double the coverage of the Super Cruise feature on a mileage basis. According to General Motors, this initiative is designed to enhance the hands-free driving experience, particularly for drivers in rural and suburban areas, by providing greater coverage and connectivity between smaller towns and communities.
What You Need To Know: GM’s Super Cruise road network is growing tremendously and will now include more two-lane and minor highways than before. It’s a huge expansion of the system’s enabled road network.
What We Think: We love using Super Cruise on our HUMMER EV. Not just a gimmick- the feature reduces fatigue and stress when driving. It’s not fully autonomous driving- but it does make driving easier and availability of the feature would influence our future new vehicle purchases.
Super Cruise – From 400k to 750k miles of hands-free roads
Super Cruise is an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) that enables hands-free driving on specific roadways under certain conditions. The system utilizes a combination of technologies, including cameras, radar, and GPS data, supplemented by detailed map information to assist in navigation and vehicle control.
General Motors claims that the Super Cruise network will grow to approximately 750,000 miles of roads in the U.S. and Canada, encompassing a mix of divided highways, major highways, and now minor highways. This expansion is intended to offer users more flexibility in their travel options, potentially making Super Cruise applicable to a wider array of driving scenarios.
The last time Super Cruise was updated, the feature grew from 200,000 miles to 400,000 miles. This expansion reflects the largest increase in Super Cruise roads to date, nearly doubling the number of Super Cruise ready roads.
“GM is all-in on safely deploying Super Cruise as we make the technology available on more vehicles, more roads and for more people to enjoy. A key part of that is expanding the road network — in this case nearly doubling it again — with LiDAR mapped highways. High precision LiDAR mapping gives us an operating domain where we are confident in Super Cruise’s abilities.”– Anantha Kancherla, GM vice president of ADAS.
Super Cruise Safety
The company has also highlighted the safety record of Super Cruise, stating that over 160 million miles have been driven without reported accidents using the system. This statistic is presented to underscore the reliability and safety benefits of Super Cruise, suggesting it may contribute to reducing driver fatigue and enhancing road safety.
Super Cruise – Vehicle Availability
General Motors has indicated that Super Cruise is available on a variety of models across its Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands. Vehicles such as the Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Tahoe, and GMC Sierra 1500 are among those equipped with Super Cruise. By the end of 2023, General Motors says it plans to make Super Cruise available on 22 different models, reflecting a broad integration of the technology across its vehicle lineup.