GM Nearly Doubles Super Cruise Hands-Free Driving Network

GM’s Super Cruise semi-autonomous technology differs from many other advanced driver assist systems in that the automaker fearlessly refers to it as “hands-free.” But GM’s confidence in Super Cruise (or, more likely, its lawyers’ comfort with such wording) only extends so far: Not only does the hands-free driving system only work so long as the driver keeps their eyes on the road, but it’s also limited to a network of highways the company has mapped in painstaking detail. Now, however, that network is growing from 400,000 miles of roads to 750,000 across the U.S. and Canada.

Related: How Cadillac’s Super Cruise System Works

Initially, GM concentrated its efforts on major highways. The latest network expansion includes minor highways the company says “typically connect smaller cities and townships.” As Super Cruise works even when a vehicle is towing a trailer, GM imagines this will be of particular interest to owners who camp or boat near such destinations.

Before customers can use Super Cruise on a road, GM maps it using lidar technology that creates detailed three-dimensional maps. The data are then distributed to GM vehicles with Super Cruise through over-the-air updates to their navigation systems. The company says updates have already started and will continue through 2025.

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