Three Vehicles Excluded from GM’s Hands-Free Coverage Up to 750,000 Miles

Hands-Free Routes Expanded Across US and Canada with Minor Highway Integration

General Motors has recently revealed that the Super Cruise network has now covered a total of 750,000 miles with the hands-free capability. This expansion includes minor highways that link smaller urban areas and townships throughout both the United States and Canada. However, not all vehicles from GM will have access to this feature, but we will delve into that further in this article.

The release of 750,000 hands-free miles in late 2022 marks a significant leap compared to the previous 400,000 miles. To put it into perspective, this distance is equivalent to making 130 round trips from Los Angeles to New York. This breakthrough by the leading automaker results in nearly six times greater coverage compared to other automated systems.

The enhancements were highly anticipated – in the previous month, GM revealed its plan to essentially combine Ultra Cruise and Super Cruise.

According to GM, a vast majority of owners who were surveyed about Super Cruise reported a significantly more relaxing driving experience. After our own test drive of a Cadillac XT6 equipped with Super Cruise from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, we can confirm this claim. Furthermore, the system has been activated for over 160 million miles without any accidents occurring, making it a highly safe option for drivers.

Super Cruise is classified as a Level 2 self-driving technology, requiring that drivers maintain complete focus on the road at all times. A camera located behind the steering wheel is responsible for ensuring that drivers are not distracted or, in certain instances, even asleep. Similar Level 2 autonomous driving features available in the United States include Tesla’s Full Self-Driving and Ford’s BlueCruise.

With regards to Level 3 autonomy, Mercedes-Benz stands as the sole provider of this technology in the US at present. However, it should be acknowledged that BMW is making progress towards becoming a competitor in this field. To clarify, Mercedes Drive Pilot is currently authorized for operation in Nevada and California.

According to Anantha Kancherla, the vice president of advanced driver assistance systems, “GM is fully committed to the safe deployment of Super Cruise, as we strive to make this technology accessible to a wider range of vehicles, roads, and individuals for their enjoyment.” As part of this effort, the company is focused on expanding the road network, which includes nearly doubling it once again with the use of LiDAR-mapped highways. This high-precision mapping allows us to establish a reliable operating domain where we have complete confidence in the capabilities of Super Cruise.

Free over-the-air updates have recently begun to be distributed and will continue to be released until 2025. Although the majority of vehicles equipped with Super Cruise will receive these updates, GM has stated that certain models such as the Cadillac CT6, Chevrolet Bolt EUV, and Cadillac XT6 will not be eligible for access.