GM’s Super Cruise Expansion: Driving into the Future of Autonomous Driving on Rural Roads and Highways

General Motors (GM) has recently announced an ambitious expansion of its Super Cruise autonomous driving system. This expansion will nearly double the current network, allowing the system to operate on around 750,000 miles of rural roads and minor highways in the United States and Canada by 2025. This significant expansion marks a major step forward in GM’s commitment to autonomous driving technology and its goal to provide a safer and more convenient driving experience for its customers.

First introduced in 2017, Super Cruise is a driver assistance system that allows for fully hands-free operation under the supervision of a driver. The driver must remain attentive and ready to take control at any moment. Super Cruise uses a combination of highly accurate GPS, cameras, radar sensors, and a driver attention system to ensure the operator’s focus on the road.

However, Super Cruise can only be operated on designated roads that have been LiDAR scanned for GM by a third-party contractor. This process generates detailed maps, which include lane-level data, topography, the radius of road curves, and more. These maps enable Super Cruise to adjust speeds when necessary, particularly on rural roads and highways, which are more likely to have tight curves, steep hills, and other potentially dangerous sections.

GM’s approach to its driver assistance system has been deliberate, especially when compared to rival Tesla, which offers a $12,000 Full Self Driving (FSD) system that can operate on city streets. However, GM’s Ultra Cruise system, which could also work in cities, was reportedly cancelled, with GM now fully focusing on Super Cruise.

GM currently offers 15 vehicles with Super Cruise, including pickups, SUVs, the Bolt EUV, and all Cadillac models. The largest Super Cruise expansion took place in 2022, growing from 200,000 to 400,000 miles.

The expansion of Super Cruise to rural roads and highways is a significant milestone for GM and the autonomous driving industry as a whole. Rural roads and highways present unique challenges for autonomous driving systems due to their varying conditions and the absence of the dense urban environments that can provide more context for the system. The expansion will enable Super Cruise to operate in a wider range of driving scenarios, providing a more comprehensive and versatile driving experience for GM customers.

The expansion of Super Cruise to rural roads and highways is also expected to improve safety. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), around 55% of all traffic fatalities occur on rural roads, despite accounting for only 16% of the total miles driven in the United States. The expansion of Super Cruise to these roads will help reduce the number of accidents caused by driver distraction, fatigue, and other factors.

Moreover, the expansion of Super Cruise to rural roads and highways will provide significant benefits for long-distance travelers. Long-distance trips on rural roads and highways can be tiring and monotonous, and the hands-free operation offered by Super Cruise will make these trips more comfortable and enjoyable. The system’s ability to adjust speeds when necessary will also help improve fuel efficiency and reduce the overall cost of long-distance travel.

The expansion of Super Cruise to rural roads and highways is a testament to GM’s commitment to autonomous driving technology and its goal to provide a safer and more convenient driving experience for its customers. The expansion will enable Super Cruise to operate in a wider range of driving scenarios, improving safety, enhancing the driving experience, and providing significant benefits for long-distance travelers.

In conclusion, GM’s Super Cruise expansion to rural roads and highways is a significant step forward in the development of autonomous driving technology. The expansion will enable Super Cruise to operate in a wider range of driving scenarios, improving safety, enhancing the driving experience, and providing significant benefits for long-distance travelers. This expansion is expected to be completed by 2025, nearly doubling the current Super Cruise network and solidifying GM’s position as a leader in autonomous driving technology.