General Motors expanding use of its hands-free Super Cruise functionality

General Motors continues to find ways for the safe deployment of its advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) - and the effort is expanding to more vehicles. GM hopes its Super Cruise, marketed as the first actual hands-free advanced driver assistance platform, will give the US automaker a step up over competing solutions.

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Select vehicles will have up to 400,000 miles of roads supported in the Super Cruise road network - double the amount previously supported. Ultra Cruise is GM's next generation of Super Cruise ADAS technology, and Qualcomm will develop the custom SoC design - the software controlling sensors and data collected from the driving experience.

Full-size SUVs built October 3, 2022, or later - with deliveries beginning mid-November - and will be supported by the following models/trims:

• 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe - High Country and Premier trims
• 2023 Chevrolet Suburban - High Country and Premier trims
• 2023 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV and Escalade-V
• 2023 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate

GM plans to offer over-the-air (OTA) updates to current Super Cruise vehicles running GM's VIP electrical architecture. GM stated that the free updates will roll out over the next few months. By the end of 2023, Super Cruise will reach 22 vehicles across the world - and Ultra Cruise will deploy to select premium models.

Modern cars are jam-packed with computer hardware - and the software to power all of this tech - is only expanding. In early 2022, GM partnered with Qualcomm to develop a Snapdragon system-on-chip for GM's Ultra Cruise data processing.

As noted by Ashley Edgar, senior director of global automotive supplier benchmarking and alternative mobility at J.D Power:

"As vehicle technologies continue to evolve, manufacturers are working hard at staying innovative," said senior director of global automotive supplier benchmarking and alternative mobility Ashley Edgar. "Although innovation is important, it is equally important to ensure current technologies, such as collision intervention features, are functioning to the highest degree. If manufacturers want to increase the level of autonomy in the future, today's features cannot be problematic."