Because we’re primarily a sports car-centric media outlet, we don’t frequently get invited to press launches for more general-interest consumer vehicles. So we were intrigued when Chevy called us and asked us to come check out a feature on its newest Silverado 1500, and we were even more intrigued when we showed up and the test trucks had race car-sized trailers hitched behind them.
The unique arrangement was due to the fact that Chevy is promoting the functionality of its Super Cruise system for towing.
Super Cruise is GM’s advanced, hands-free highway driving package, available since 2022 on select GM models. It’s not a true self-driving or autopilot system–it only functions on limited access roadways that GM has specifically scouted and mapped for such a purpose. But when it’s engaged on those roads, it’s pretty spectacular. It also takes a lot of the tedium out of long drives while retaining enough engagement that you don’t feel like the machines are taking over.
And this seems to have been GM’s strategy with Super Cruise. Rather than trying to create a Tesla-style self-driving system, GM extensively scouted and mapped roads–more than a quarter-million miles of them in the U.S. at last count–and combined that with on-board LIDAR and camera sensors operating in real time to make an advanced highway assist package.
Image courtesy GM
High-tech highway assists are not unique in the industry. Ford’s BlueCruise and Tesla’s Autopilot will both whisk you down the freeway with your hands in your lap, but GM brought a big, exciting favor to the party with Super Cruise: towing. Currently, Super Cruise is the only hands-free system that’s trailer capable, and that’s why Chevy wanted us to sample it.
So we headed down to a hotel next to the Palm Beach airport, where the highways are crowded and chaotic, and saw our two hitched-up chariots. After the Chevy crew ran us through the basics of operating Super Cruise, we were on our way.
And … it’s really good.
Operation is pretty simple. A couple lights on the dash let you know when conditions exist for Super Cruise to be engaged. Mostly you’ll need to be on a limited-access highway–nearly all U.S. interstates are in the database, along with tens of thousands of miles of state roads and toll roads–centered in the lane, and maintaining a reasonable following distance and speed from surrounding traffic.
When conditions are right, hit the Super Cruise button and the light bar at the top of the steering wheels turns blue to let you know the system is activating, then green once it’s fully engaged a couple seconds later. Then you’re free to remove your hands from the wheel and your feet from the pedals.
At this point, Super Cruise follows the current lane and keeps pace with traffic via its onboard sensors and compares notes on road conditions to its constantly updated proprietary road database. Lane following is nearly seamless, even with the 20-plus feet of steel and aluminum we were hauling, and speed changes are smooth and progressive. Super Cruise won’t mash the throttle or spike the brake–especially when towing–and it does a great job of keeping a nice bubble around you.
Without a trailer attached, Super Cruise will even change lanes on its own to pass a slower car in the lane ahead. It can also change lanes on demand when you activate the turn signal. But with a trailer hitched, the system is a bit more conservative and lane changes require driver intervention.
As for how much attention you need to be paying to what’s going on, Super Cruise does require some engagement on your part. You can’t just start making lap fajitas and check out completely. Onboard cameras want to see your eyes focusing mainly on the road. Look away for too long, and the steering wheel light will flash a warning, then switch to an audible warning, ultimately shutting off the system and even bringing the vehicle to a halt if it thinks you’ve stopped paying attention altogether.
But if you’re queuing up the next episode of your favorite podcast, momentarily typing “gentleman’s club” into the nav system, or simply enjoying the scenery passing by out the windshield more than you usually would, Super Cruise has got you covered.
Like so many cool things, this tech isn’t free. Super Cruise is currently a $2400 option on Chevy products (a bit more on Cadillacs), which includes three years of the subscription portion of the service. After that, you’ll pay $25 a month to keep it active.
While we’re not huge fans of subscribing to key functionalities of cars, the subscription model does ensure that you always have the latest map data; GM is constantly adding to its road database.
Weak points? Well, a few, although we’re not even sure we’d call them weak points, just overly cautious functionalities, which is probably not a bad thing. The system is pretty cautious in construction zones and will frequently have the driver take over if the lanes shift due to construction or repainting.
Also, it can be a bit conservative when you’re trying to activate the system too close to an exit lane. It likes to come on where there’s good demarcation of the roadway on both sides of the truck and a good distance to the next or previous exit in front or behind the vehicle.
But overall, especially as a tow companion, the system operates exceedingly smoothly and seamlessly. It makes directional adjustments so fluidly that you hardly ever feel the trailer. Even in dense South Florida traffic, which can be chaotic, the system never freaked out on us and remained disciplined and well controlled.
At first it took some courage to take our hands off the wheel, especially with 24 feet of steel and aluminum hitched out back, but within a couple miles, the system won us over. It even brought us to a complete stop in typical Palm Beach rush hour traffic, did the conga line for a few hundred yards, then smoothly accelerated back to cruising speed once the congestion cleared.
At some point in the experience, you come to terms with the fact that GM’s system is monitoring other traffic in a 360° sweep around the vehicle at all times, while your measly two eyes can only ever look one place at a time–unless you’re a chameleon, in which case you should be sitting on a hot rock and not towing a race car. Relinquishing control does take some faith, but Chevy seems to be rewarding that faith with solid performance.
While we love the idea of being engaged in the act of driving, we’ll also freely admit that not all driving is the fun kind. GM has really hit a sweet spot here, optimizing this system to take the tedium out of the most boring parts of the experience and lightening the load on your hands, eyes and brain for more enjoyable activities.
After browsing around some local stocks of Chevys on dealer lots, Super Cruise doesn’t seem to be too available in our area in trucks. Yeah, you can find some equipped Silverados, but you’re more likely to find a Suburban or midsize Chevy SUV with Super Cruise sitting on a dealer lot in Central Florida as of press time. Still, equipped trucks are out there, and it’s an easily orderable option–one that we’ll strongly consider when it comes time for a new tow rig. It’s a long way to Lincoln, Nebraska, for the SCCA Solo Nats, and we’d be happy to let Super Cruise help out with the drive.
Comments
This would be awesome in a motor home when its good enough to get up and get a soda, make a sandwich, or use the restroom. Even if you’re mostly just standing up to switch who is monitoring the system.
This has the same core problem as every other “self driving” setup on the market. It’s Level 2 autonomy, which means it can steer and control speed but the driver needs to be willing and able to take over at any time with little or no notice – and that will be when something has gone wrong so it may require immediate action. That’s not how human attention works.
The ones that are really good at it are arguably even more dangerous, because they lull the driver into a false sense of security and the driver treats it like Level 4. I have real concerns about Level 2 and Level 3 autonomy being fundamentally flawed. Level 1 (speed OR steering control, but not both) is better as it forces the driver to be at least partially engaged all the time.
They’re okay for a momentary use like adjusting the nav system – the equivalent of having your buddy reach over and grab the wheel. But I’d strongly recommend having a hand on the wheel and two eyeballs on the road whenever possible. It’s not like lane keeping is difficult if you’re looking ahead.
“Super Cruise does require some engagement on your part. You can’t just start making lap fajitas and check out completely.”
And there’s the rub.
You, GM, and GRM readers understand this, but what about when run-of-the-mill Freddie Facebook and Tammy Texter get behind the wheel? That was a rhetorical question since they are already behind the wheel of something, and first responders, insurance adjusters, and insurance actuaries already know the answer.
In reply to Coniglio Rampante :
Not really rhetorical, we’ve already seen it with some high profile Tesla crashes. What makes it worse is that those owners are being told that it is effectively a Level 4 system. The better it gets, the easier it is to believe that. Until suddenly it’s out of ideas.
Ford’s system allows you to use the feature while towing, I just did it pulling a 6×12 Uhaul from the Panhandle of Florida to the Tampa area to bring supplies for hurricane clean up in my Raptor. No you can’t sit there and play your Nintendo Switch while it’s activated but it helps keep you centered and alert of traffic.
I’d be interested to check out GMs variation of it. Towing with the Raptor sucks in general so it would be nice to try out with a truck that is actually meant to tow things.
Tom1200
PowerDork
10/7/24 4:20 p.m.
First the feature is not a $2400 option; at a minimum a $3300 option as folks now tend to finance for 72 months.
For someone like me who keeps vehicles 10 years or more it’s a $4500 option.
As someone who does Software As Service contracts I can tell you these things in automobiles are utterly predatory.
We all know full well that around the 5-6 year mark GM will “sunset” the software (because this is what software companies do) and your truck’s feature will no longer work. At that point it will be an upgrade if not a reason to convince people to get a new truck.
It was only a matter of time before automobiles got swept up into product/features being viewed as a revenue stream rather than a product. Words cannot truly convey how much I loathe this business model.
NOHOME
MegaDork
10/7/24 5:46 p.m.
In reply to Tom1200 :
I am waiting for cars to go “annual subscription” like all of the business software I needed to run an engineering department. I guess you could sorta look at it like forced leasing.
I really want to love this tech. So I need to try it.
i find that when I’m towing I’m pretty alert all the time because im nervous.
I wonder how this will do with the 30mph winds we get out west of here.
If I can’t pay enough attention to keep the truck in its lane I’m sure as heck not going to be able to start paying attention and take over if Super Cruise gives up.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
Extremely well said!
Probably just one of the urban legend, but, a guy knew a guy that bought his first RV in the ’70s. Set the “cruse control” (fairly new stuff at the time) and stepped back to make himself a drink!
We’ve all met folks that WOULD do that!!!
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