2022 Cadillac Escalade Loses Super Cruise Due to Chip Shortage

The autonomous driver assist option has been deleted amidst the ongoing microchip shortage.

byLewin Day|
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The global microchip shortage is still with us, with automotive engineers and procurement teams working hard this year to get what cars they can out the door. Along the way, all manner of features are falling by the wayside as automakers simply can't lay their hands on parts to build them. The latest surprise casualty is GM's Super Cruise driver assist, which has been deleted from the 2022 Cadillac Escalade options list, reports Motor1. 

Update: 09/30/21 7:41 p.m. ET: Cadillac have commented regarding the availability of Super Cruise on its sedans going forward. The article has been updated to reflect this below.

The news first came from a 'reliable source', with Cadillac confirming the information shortly afterwards. In an official statement, Cadillac's representative stated that "Super Cruise is an important feature for the Cadillac Escalade program. Although it's temporarily unavailable at the start of regular production due to the industry-wide shortage of semiconductors, we're confident in our team's ability to find creative solutions to mitigate the supply chain situation and resume offering the feature for our customers as soon as possible."

Peter Holderith

GM's Super Cruise is one of the leading driver-assist systems currently available on the market. Unlike its competitors, it was the first system to allow for real hands-free driving, and is usable on 200,000 miles of America's highways. Tested by The Drive on the 2021 Cadillac Escalade, it still requires drivers to keep their eyes on the road, but the experience it provides marks a significant change from regular driving. Summing up the system, our own Peter Holderith noted that "Super Cruise is not something you're going to want to live without once you've had a taste." It's not a fully autonomous self-driving system, and neither are its competitors—but Super Cruise is among the best driver assists on the market right now. 

The temporary deletion of the option puts Super Cruise almost entirely off the market at this time. With the pause in Chevrolet Bolt production due to battery issues, it's not available there either. The Cadillac CT4 and CT5 sedans still appear to offer the Super Cruise package on V-series models according to the company's online configurator. The Drive has reached out to Cadillac for clarification in this area, and will update accordingly. 

Update: Cadillac has responded, indicating the availability of Super Cruise going forward on its sedan line. Cadillac's Product & Brand Communications representative for sedans, Stefan Cross, told The Drive that​​​ "While we built a few 21MY CT4s and CT5s with Super Cruise, the semiconductor shortage resulted in us postponing the full launch of Super Cruise in our sedans until 22MY. Now, the 22MY CT4s and CT5s will be available with Super Cruise in the first half of next year."

For those eager to get behind the wheel of Cadillac's premier SUV, the present choices available are to either forego Super Cruise or wait until it becomes available once again. It may be an easier decision for those that haven't yet tried the system. It's harder to miss what you never had, after all. 

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