The chip shortage is forcing GM to delay releasing its semi-autonomous Super Cruise feature for the 2022 Cadillac Escalade, Motor1 reports.
“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,” a Cadillac rep tells Motor1.
The chip shortage is widely expected to spill over into 2022. Super Cruise is also scheduled to appear on the GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado, but not until the spring.
This is the latest chip-related setback for GM. In March, the company said it would release several pickup trucks without other smart features, such as active and dynamic fuel management modules, because of the shortage. More recently, it reduced its production altogether.
But it’s not the only carmaker having to make similar tough calls. Toyota was also forced to cut production by 40%, while Ford, Jeep, and Chevy have been hit hard as well.
The US government is looking at ways it can ease the chip shortage by sorting out supply chain bottlenecks and investing in domestic semiconductor fabrication through the CHIPS Act. The shortage had been expected to ease in Q3 2021, but that hasn’t happened. Now, sights are set a bit further in the future. Will it turn into an overabundance in 2023 after normalizing in the middle of 2022? We’ll have to see.
