This Fall, You Will Be Able To Test GM’s Super Cruise Semi-Autonomous System

Tesla is getting healthy competition this year. General Motors will launch Super Cruise, its own semi-autonomous system for cars, this fall #automagic

GM has announced that Super Cruise is going to debut in the second part of the year, likely this fall, on Cadillac CT6 vehicles. The advanced highway automatic driving feature is going to be a paid option for those of you who can’t wait to lay back, like a passenger. Super Cruise is very similar to Elon Musk’s Autopilot but there is one difference worthy of all your attention.

Before we get to that, what can Super Cruise do? Well, it will take control of your car on the highway, maintain lane position and adapt speed according to the traffic ahead. That sound fantastic, only it’s one side of the truth. Fact is, drivers will be able to let the car go in autonomous mode on “divided, limited-access highways — highways with defined ‘on-’ and ‘off-ramps,’.” There won’t be any car cruising in cities or residential areas.

The car’s sensors will be able to track the driver’s head orientation at all times from the steering wheel. Don’t forget – even when Super Cruise is on, you’ll need to pay attention to the road and intervene, if the situation requires it. In case you doze off, lights and sound notifications surrounding the wheel will alert you to stay focused on the road. Worst case scenario? The alerts don’t have any effect. If this happens, the system will make the car come to a halt.

Like Autopilot, Super Cruise will be updated over-the-air. That said, General Motors’ semi-autonomous drive mode can incorporate LiDAR data. This won’t come from production vehicles, though. Instead, GM has equipped a fleet of cars to map the highways with LiDAR and transmit that info over-the-air.

Super Cruise won’t come cheap. The paid add-on will be priced at $2,500 on luxury and platinum models. For the luxury version, buyers will have to pay an extra $3,100 to get the driver assist suite.