General Motors Expands Hands-Free Super Cruise Tool

Want to take your hands off the wheel while behind the wheel? General Motors has good news for you.

GM is expanding Super Cruise availability from 200,000 miles to 400,000 miles of roadways in the U.S. and Canada, including undivided highways. That includes U.S. Route 66, California State Route 1,  U.S. Route 1 and the Trans-Canada Highway.

“Super Cruise uses precision LiDAR map data, real-time cameras, radars and GPS for the hands-free driving experience,” Kalea Hall writes for the Detroit News. “The system will accelerate and brake, it steers to maintain lane position, and on certain models, can perform lane changes.”

The expanded version will be available for 2021 and 2022 vehicles equipped for Super Cruise, a group that includes the Cadillac CT4, CT5, Escalade, GMC Hummer EV and electric Cadillac Lyriq. Cars already sold can get the expansion through an over-the-air update.

The expansion comes as Tesla is under regulatory scrutiny over its Autopilot system, which is similar to GM’s Super Cruise. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating some 200 crashes involving Autopilot. It has recently turned its attention to collisions involving Teslas and motorcycles, as well as crashes with stopped emergency vehicles.

Meanwhile, GM says it is hoping to have Super Cruise available on 22 models in the U.S. and Canada by the end of next year. That effort has been slowed by the ongoing semiconductor chip shortage.

GM Defects and California Car Owners’ Rights

GM and other major auto manufacturers continue to have a tough time ensuring that their vehicles are safe to drive.

The company announced a pair of recalls in April alone, for example. GM said it was calling back nearly 700,000 vehicles over a defect that could make them difficult to drive in wet weather: faulty windshield wipers. It also recalled certain electric Hummer trucks and sport utility vehicles that the company said were equipped with malfunctioning tail lights.

GM and other car owners in California should know that they have some important rights and options under the state’s lemon law. 

The law generally requires carmakers to perform a wide range of repairs on vehicles while they are under warranty. It also forces the companies to buy back covered vehicles that they are not able or refuse to fix. That includes compensating the owner for the car’s purchase price, as well as financing fees, rental car costs and other related expenses.

There is no specific number of repair requests or attempts that must happen before the buyback or replace requirement kicks in. That is one of several reasons why it is important to consult an experienced lemon law attorney.

Talk with a California Lemon Law Attorney

If you have been stuck with a defective or malfunctioning vehicle, a California lemon law attorney at Bickel Sannipoli APC can help you fight back.  

Call us at (888) 800-1983 or contact us online to speak with a California lemon law attorney.