Cadillac To Add 70,000 Additional Super Cruise Highway Miles To Autonomous Driving Network
Automakers are taking the first steps to autonomous autos with systems like Tesla Autopilot and Cadillac's Super Cruise. Tesla is always inching closer to full automation with Autopilot recently gaining the ability to change lanes without human input.
Cadillac has announced that it is adding a huge number of new miles of Super Cruise compatible highways to its network. The automaker says that an additional 70,000 miles will be available for hands-free driving by Q4 2019. The additional 70,000 miles of highways include new roadways in the U.S. and Canada.
Currently, Super Cruise is available on 130,000 miles of limited-access freeways. Caddy says that the expansion builds on Super Cruise's combination of precision LiDAR map data, high-precision GPS, and a state-of-the-art Driver Attention System working with the car's network of camera and radar sensors. The Super Cruise system is unable to handle all aspects of driving; Cadillac says that the system will warn drivers to take back control at railroad crossings, pedestrian crossings, stoplights, and stop signs.
Super Cruise can handle a limited number of intersections and traffic control devices. Drivers are warned to stay engaged and vigilant at all times when Super Cruise is engaged. The new expanded Super Cruise capability will come to 2018 and 2019 model year Cadillac CT6 owners through software updates performed at their preferred Cadillac dealership. The new map miles will be sent to other customer vehicles during the summer and fall.
The software update that adds the new highways to the system also brings with it performance improvements, enhancements to Super Cruise availability and improvements to the Driver Attention System. Cadillac says that drivers have traveled 2.5 million miles using Super Cruise since launch.