After General Motors pulled the curtains on its Cruise robotaxi division last year, it’s hoping to keep at least one foot in the autonomy game with its Super Cruise advanced driver assistance system (ADAS). Now there are early signs that focusing on consumer applications for autonomy rather than a robotaxi service might be paying off.
About 20% of GM customers driving Super Cruise-enabled Chevy, Cadillac, GMC, or Buick models opt to pay for the system after its initial three-year trial period, the automaker said in Tuesday's 2024 earnings report. During that call, GM executives said there are now about 360,000 cars on the road with Super Cruise and the automaker hopes to double that in 2025 as it sets big expectations for future software subscription revenue.
Super Cruise is GM’s version of Tesla’s Autopilot or Ford’s BlueCruise. It’s a Level 2 driver assistance system that uses cameras, radars, and sensors to create a 3D map of the environment. Under certain conditions, it can take over acceleration, braking and steering, but only with the driver’s full supervision. On select highways under clear weather, Super Cruise can even be hands-free. But it’s always “eyes-on,” requiring drivers to remain alert and ready to take control at all times. A fully safe, zero-liability self-driving system for personal vehicles doesn’t exist in the U.S. yet.
Some of GM’s new models—gas-powered or fully electric—get Super Cruise as standard for three years. After that, owners can pay a fee to renew and continue using it.
According to the OnStar website, GM owners can choose a monthly $25 option. On cars where the feature isn’t standard, buyers can add Super Cruise for a one-time $2,500-3,000 fee. That sum can change slightly depending on the make and model and how it is bundled with other active safety systems.
So, what does a 20% take rate—accounting for customers who choose to continue paying for Super Cruise after the initial period—say about the popularity of GM’s system? Is that good enough to warrant continued investment and improvement of the technology?
“A 20% take rate on Super Cruise is actually pretty good,” said Sam Abuelsamid, the vice president of market research at data analytics firm Telemetry. The price at which GM is selling Super Cruise helps it recover the hardware and software costs, leaving plenty of room for growth, he added.
GM isn’t the only automaker betting big on autonomy as a service. Tesla has doubled down on its ambitions for autonomy, and is banking on AI advancements and continued development of its Full Self-Driving technology to make good on its big promises to investors. GM’s Super Cruise take rate appears to be far lower than Tesla’s was for FSD in 2021, which, according to some estimates, was once as high as 46%. However, subscriptions to Tesla’s system are believed to have declined sharply since. “Autopilot is probably in the 20-25% range,” Abuelsamid said.
Robby DeGraff, the manager of product and consumer insights at automotive research firm Auto Pacific, said Super Cruise’s 20% retention rate seems like a small share. Still, the technology has potential, and GM can improve its retention rate by improving its subscription options.
“The technology itself is very good,” DeGraff told InsideEVs. “Because GM is continually offering it on more models and trims that aren’t the top pricey ones, we will gradually see more consumers decide to keep Super Cruise after the three-year subscription ends.”
Indeed, the system is now available on more affordable GM vehicles. It can be had on all Chevy Equinox EV trims, for example, including the $35,000 entry-level LT, which is the most affordable EV in the U.S. with over 300 miles of range. It doesn’t come standard, though, and buyers have to pay upfront while configuring their cars. The previous generation Chevy Bolt also had Super Cruise, and there’s little reason to believe the 2026 Bolt won’t as well.
However, DeGraff added that there’s still hesitation regarding hands-free, autonomous systems among many drivers. Agnostic about which car they come on, these systems are still new and their capabilities aren’t often well-understood by many operators.
“Trust in the tech needs to continue to be developed and retained; we’ll get there, but it will take time,” DeGraff said. “Our research shows that demand for hands-off autonomy systems is relatively low and wanted by less than a quarter of all new vehicle shoppers, regardless of powertrain and segment.”
ADAS systems have been the subject of several investigations by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Tesla’s Autopilot and FSD have been linked to hundreds of crashes, some of them fatal. Ford’s BlueCruise on the Mustang Mach-E is also under investigation after several fatal crashes.
However, the retention rate for these systems may end up being higher among electrified car owners. “About 23% of all new vehicle shoppers would be interested in paying for this tech on their next new vehicle, with the strongest demand coming from EV and PHEV shoppers,” DeGraff said.
InsideEVs also reached out to Ford to ask about its BlueCruise retention rates. A Ford spokesperson declined to provide specific data but said that customers who love BlueCruise were choosing to buy it upfront. Others activate it monthly or annually based on their requirements. Tesla’s official retention rates for its $8,000 Full-Self Driving (FSD) software are unclear. The automaker doesn’t respond to media requests.
The emphasis on Super Cruise comes amid a pivot on autonomy for GM. After investing more than $10 billion into its Cruise robotaxi division, GM ended those operations last December to prioritize its “core” profit-making businesses, like gas-powered trucks and SUVs. Cruise was folded into GM’s teams working on driver assistance tech.
GM can be more flexible with its Super Cruise plans, DeGraff said, with more pay-as-you-go or short-term subscriptions. That could get more buyers to continue using Super Cruise after the initial phase. “GM could see an even stronger take rate in Super Cruise,” he said. “What if you want to just buy the capability for a one-week or two-week road trip? I think there’s a revenue opportunity there.”
How GM’s ADAS play continues to develop may well be determined by the regulatory environment under the Trump administration. Tesla CEO Elon Musk already has an office in the White House as the chair of the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency. He’s likely to advocate for regulations that make it easier for automakers to deploy autonomous tech. And while GM has bowed out of the robotaxi race, other players are getting more serious there, all while most automakers look for ways to improve their autonomy game over time.
By the end of 2025, 24 GM vehicles will be available with Super Cruise thanks to growing customer interest, the automaker said. GM CEO Mary Barra said she is also optimistic about the future of Super Cruise.
“The bulk of the people who have Super Cruise in their vehicles use it on a regular basis,” Barra said during the Q4 2024 earnings call. “That’s why 80% of our customers say they either wouldn't buy a car without it, or they strongly would desire it to be on their next vehicle."
Have a tip? Contact the author: suvrat.kothari@insideevs.com
