General Motors will launch its Super Cruise hands-free driver-assistance system in Europe from mid-December, bringing the technology to eligible Cadillac EVs about two years after it first said it wanted to bring the system to the region.
The system will cover more than 180,000 kilometers (about 112,000 miles) of approved roads in more than 15 European countries at first, including Germany, France and Switzerland, GM said in a statement on Wednesday.
GM made the announcement at Auto Zürich, the Swiss motor show that opens to the public on Thursday and runs through Sunday. Luca Patrignani, Managing Director of GM Europe, also shared the news in a LinkedIn post.
“I’ve had the chance to experience Super Cruise and it’s a fantastic feeling, and I’m looking forward to seeing customers experience it for themselves,” Patrignani wrote.
What Drivers Get
Super Cruise allows drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel on approved roads, but they must keep their eyes on the road and be ready to take over at all times, GM said. A driver-monitoring system checks attention, and a green light bar on the steering wheel shows when the system is active.
“Super Cruise is not an autonomous or self-driving system, but an advanced driver-assistance system,” GM said in the statement. The driver remains responsible for the vehicle at all times.
In Europe, it will work on approved roads, including motorways and other multi-lane roads, from standstill up to 130 kilometers per hour (81 miles per hour), including in stop-and-go traffic, GM said.
The system steers, accelerates and brakes, keeping the car in its lane and at a set distance from the vehicle ahead. GM classifies it as a Level 2 system.
Drivers can trigger a lane change with the turn signal, and the car changes lanes automatically if the lane is clear and conditions allow, the company said.
Integration with Google Maps shows which roads are compatible with Super Cruise when drivers plan a trip, and how much of the route can be driven hands-free. Maps and software can be updated over the air.
Swiss trade magazine Automobil Revue put the number of countries at 16. GM has not published the full list.
Which Cadillacs Qualify
Super Cruise will be available on the Optiq from the 2025 model year and on the Lyriq and Vistiq from the 2026 model year, according to GM. Availability depends on vehicle supply and the requirements of each market.
Cars already delivered to European customers can receive the system through a software update at a Cadillac service partner, according to Automobil Revue.
The feature will be included for three years from first registration, or from the date the update is installed for cars already on the road, GM said. After that, owners will need an active Super Cruise subscription and a Connected Services plan.
GM has not disclosed European pricing, and said availability, functions, pricing and terms may vary by vehicle, market and subscription.
The system combines LiDAR-generated map data with cameras, radar sensors, GPS and adaptive cruise control, plus a driver-monitoring system, GM said.
“Super Cruise brings together Cadillac’s premium experience, connected services and advanced driver assistance to make everyday journeys more comfortable,” said Maximilian Wittich, GM’s Managing Director of Digital Services and Experiences, in comments translated from the Swedish version of the statement.
“We look forward to giving our customers in Europe the opportunity to drive hands-free, with technology that has been tested and adapted for European roads and rules,” Wittich said.
GM said it carried out extensive performance testing and validation, drove test routes in the region and made software improvements specific to Europe. The company did not say which authority approved the system.
A Longer Road Than Planned
GM had aimed for an earlier start. Pere Brugal, then head of GM Europe, told Welt am Sonntag in November 2024 that the system could come “as early as 2025” if legally possible, Swiss news agency Keystone-SDA reported at the time.
GM said then that it was working with European authorities and politicians on a legal framework for such systems and on approval for Super Cruise.
In late September, Gerald Kelleter, GM’s Country Manager for Germany, told electrive that the cars already had the necessary hardware and that approval was the remaining question.
“We expect to be able to launch Super Cruise before the end of the year,” Kelleter said, in comments translated from German.
Rivals Already on the Road
Super Cruise enters a market where BMW already offers hands-free motorway driving. BMW’s Highway Assistant works at up to 130 km/h, and its customers had covered more than 200 million kilometers hands-free by June, the company said at the time.
BMW said in June that the latest generation, approved under UN Regulation No. 171 on driver-control assistance systems, would expand from one European country to more than 20.
Tesla‘s supervised driver-assistance software holds a Dutch approval that ten EU countries have recognized. On Tuesday, the Dutch vehicle authority RDW said it had approved Tesla’s request to cut the system’s speed margin to 10% from 50%and rename it Tesla Assisted Driving in Europe.
Approval across the EU is still under review, with Germany’s Transport Ministry saying a vote is planned for December.
Built on a Track Record Abroad
GM introduced Super Cruise in North America in 2017, and vehicles there have used it for more than 1.5 billion kilometers (about 930 million miles), GM said. The system is also offered in Canada, China and South Korea, and is coming soon to the Middle East.
GM delivered about 83,000 vehicles equipped with Super Cruise in the third quarter, bringing the total for the year to more than 243,000, the company said when it reported third-quarter results in October.
Recognized Super Cruise revenue rose about 60% from a year earlier, and GM said it remained on track for its 2026 target of about $400 million. It expects more than 850,000 Super Cruise subscribers by the end of the year.
Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra said in October that GM is expanding its autonomous capabilities “for the highway, starting with the Cadillac Escalade IQ in 2028.”
In the U.S., Cadillac made up nearly half of GM’s EV sales in the third quarter.
Cadillac’s European Bet
Cadillac returned to Europe with an all-electric lineup, starting with the Lyriq, and now also sells the Optiq, Vistiq and the high-performance Lyriq-V in markets including Switzerland, Germany, France and Sweden.
In Germany, Cadillac started in May 2024 mainly with direct online sales and is now adding regional agency partners, beginning with a dealer in Berlin, Kelleter told electrive. GM does not publish volume targets for the brand, he said.
At Auto Zürich, Cadillac displayed its Formula 1 car alongside its EV lineup. Cadillac entered Formula 1 as the series’ 11th team this season.
