In a move that shows not everything Tesla does should be followed, Cadillac is moving SuperCruise to a subscription model

"LJ909" (lj909) 08/14/2020 at 11:57 • Filed to: Cadillac, Cadillac Super Cruise, Super Cruise, Cadillac Super Cruise Subscription

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Yes you read that right. I had no idea this was a thing, and forgive me if it’s been discussed on here, but apparently everyone (and I’m sure it’s not a lot of people) that optioned for SuperCruise were in a free trial period. First reported by Motor Trend, they stated: “ Super Cruise is not a permanent fixture in such-equipped GM models. The automaker currently offers the feature in Cadillac models on a three-year trial basis, after which customers must pay a fee to keep Super Cruise operative .” So we’re getting to the point where this is going to become a thing now. You car will come equipped with something and you’re going to have to subscribe to features if you want to keep them. That’s insane.

Anyway, MT and Business Insider have confirmed that Super Cruise will be a subscription model. Super Cruise was only available on the CT6 at first, but Cadillac has said its coming for the ‘21 CT4,CT5 and Escalade. What’s problematic about this however is that it was a $5k option on the CT6, whereas on the Escalade it’ll be $2500. So not only do you have to initially pay for the tech, you then have to subscribe to it. If you don’t, you’ll have tech that you can’t use in the vehicle even though you paid for it. There’s no word yet on how much the subscription will cost.

This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja: > LJ909 08/14/2020 at 12:18

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# monitize_all_the_things

For Sweden > LJ909 08/14/2020 at 12:19

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That makes sense. It’s going to require continuous software updates, and letting non-updated cars navigate highways is a huge liability GM won’t accept. It also saves Supercuise development from being an easily-cut money pit.

EDIT: a subscription also avoids the kerfuffle Tesla had when turning off autopilot for used car sales

theverge.com/2020/2/6/21127243/tesla-model-s-autopilot-disabled-remotely-used-car-update

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > LJ909 08/14/2020 at 12:19

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It’s really not that big of an issue, nor is it surprising that this is the case, assuming consumers were told this when they bought the car.

SuperCruise, Tesla’s system, and all other that will follow will require constant support and updates from manufacturers. Would you be surprised to learn that GM’s OnStar program is a subscription?

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > LJ909 08/14/2020 at 12:20

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Is it now all SuperCruise? Because that last Cruze was definitely not Super.

Bandit > LJ909 08/14/2020 at 12:23

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It makes sense though, the system runs off of cell signal connectivity. You pay a monthly fee to use your cell phone and connect to networks in addition to buying the phone hardware that enables connectivity - same thing for the car . Unlike the Tesla system Supercruise utilizes premade/scanned road map data that also gets continually updated which is what requires that connectivity. Supercruise has also always been based around the subscription model, each car came with like a 3 year subscription (covering lease duration) but now the oldest cars are getting to the age where the factory time period is running out.

Ash78, voting early and often > LJ909 08/14/2020 at 12:25

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I’ve said it once and I’ll keep saying it: Subscription models are just boiling the frog in the pot of water. Actual ownership has to count for something, otherwise we’re all going to look back in 20 years and wonder why the 1% now control 90% of the wealth. We’re already on the way...but it doesn’t help that large-ticket items like cars and homes are increasingly unaffordable, so I’m not totally faulting consumers here.

( On the other hand, small subscriptions like Netflix make perfect sense, since the alternative would be owning millions of dollars worth of content, plus keeping up with it. That’s a good value proposition.

I don’t see this working well...most people want to EITHER buy the tech OR subscribe to it (think about cloud computing vs running your own server). Getting people to pony up for both at once is a tough sell. Like, imagine a $200 video-enabled door bell....stay with me, I know it sounds crazy...that people would ALSO pay $10 a month for web hosting. That would never take off.

Hooker > For Sweden 08/14/2020 at 12:26

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This is the correct take. 

Dr_Watson > LJ909 08/14/2020 at 12:43

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I see car hacks in our future. Coming to a warez torrent site near you.

Tekamul > LJ909 08/14/2020 at 13:03

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That’s fine. I was never at risk of buying a Cadillac, or ever subscribing to a feature built into a car.

Just don't let it creep into normal things, like A/C or heated seats, as some have threatened. 

fintail > Ash78, voting early and often 08/14/2020 at 13:17

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There is a lot of exercise equipment with apps that also use this idea.

I think the cat is already out of the bag, and this might just be the latest evolution of the bullshit that started a generation or two ago.

fintail > LJ909 08/14/2020 at 13:18

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So I can pay a little more for a feature that keeps too much following distance, brakes/accelerates awkwardly,  and takes turns weirdly (my experience with these lower level autonomy systems, anyway), cool.

Grindintosecond > LJ909 08/14/2020 at 13:26

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The world is becomming a paywall access feature. If you have a radio, you can listen to baseball. If you have a phone to stream with, because only old people listen to radios, then you HAVE TO PAY MLB because they own all streaming rights. Or, just turn on the radio. Free experience. This will become absolutely every experience to hear what is going on in any sport.

You like GPS in your car? Guess what you gotta pay for next!

Lets lock everything behind a subscription base. SONY would dearly LOVE that. You won’t own anything. You need to rent it. We can already see Apple’s attempts to keep you from actually repairing anything, much less owning what parts that came inside what you bought. Tesla is agressively controlling this feature....ownership.

In short, GM is closely monitoring their customers experience/reactions/get-over-it-ness nature so they can leverage this in the future. What features beyond basic control, safety, conditioned-air, will they be able to charge for....will everyone be able to charge for.

You can buy the car at full price, or, let’s lower the price but make everything a subscription. Your infotainment-hell device will only let you hear......nothing......unless you subscribe. But if that is the case, they better update the GPS fucking daily!

sn4cktimes > For Sweden 08/14/2020 at 14:04

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I can understand the subscription to the service part. I don’t like it, but I get that it has upkeep costs. The part that seems dumb is ALSO having to pay to have the tech in your car. If they want the fees, they should eat the hardware cost. XM radio snuck into a lot of people’s lives by being “baked into” the car they bought. Sony and Microsoft don’t always pull much, if any profit off new console sales, the hardware is basically written off as “first one’s free” model. Accessory and game sales/licensing makes the cash down the road. Gotta have that extra gamepad... $$$ ka-ching$$$ !

Ash78, voting early and often > fintail 08/14/2020 at 14:18

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Yeah, I just find it odd as a person who is generationally sandwiched in between using the Boomer Bullshit Detector and the Millenial Whiz-Bang Gimme Gimme Device

fintail > Ash78, voting early and often 08/14/2020 at 14:27

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I’m in that same sandwich.  Bullshit to the left of me, idiots to the right, stuck in the middle.

LJ909 > For Sweden 08/14/2020 at 15:23

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That’s still pretty bogus though to be pretty much charging for updates. 

LJ909 > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 08/14/2020 at 15:28

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Apples to oranges. Onstar is a feature that provides services. And they didn’t make you pay for the vehicle to equip it with Onstar then charge for the subscription. Which is what they’re doing here. This is like a home builder charging you to equip a home with appliances, then charging you a monthly fee to use them. That’s idiotic. Even factoring in over the air updates isn’t enough of a reason to charge for it.

And remember this is GM dealers we’re talking about here. I highly doubt this was told to whoever optioned for SuperCruise at the dealer. And if it were it was glossed over. 

LJ909 > Bandit 08/14/2020 at 15:30

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I get that, but to me the problem is charging a subscription fee after you already charged to equip the vehicle with the tech. It should just be all bundled together in one price. It’s just a way to get more money out of people. 

LJ909 > Tekamul 08/14/2020 at 15:31

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This. 

Stef Schrader > LJ909 08/14/2020 at 17:12

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“Hey, we’re tired of being seen as an also-ran to BMW. What’s BMW doing? Gimme their absolute worst idea that’s been panned by anyone with sense and almost assuredly going to be hacked by the aftermarket and home wrenchers who want the full car they paid for. Yeah, that’s the stuff.”