As General Motors Co (GM) rolls Super Cruise across its Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra lineup, something more interesting is happening underneath the hood of the business model. Software and services are quietly becoming a bigger slice of the automaker's revenue pie.

And there's a growing pool of deferred revenue that gives investors a way to actually track the transition.

Super Cruise Gets a Truck Boost

GM expects Super Cruise penetration across its full-size truck portfolio to increase four to five times in 2027, CEO Mary Barra said on the company's third-quarter earnings call.

The technology will become standard on high-end Silverado and Sierra light-duty trims and available on most other trims, widening its reach across two of GM's key nameplates.

"Trucks will also be a big driver of incremental Super Cruise adoption and digital revenue," Barra said.

That strategy lets GM introduce more customers to its hands-free driver-assistance system through vehicles buyers already want, rather than relying solely on a separate software push. The financial opportunity will depend on adoption, subscription conversion and how effectively GM turns equipped vehicles into recurring customer relationships.

GM's earnings presentation also showed that Super Cruise recognized revenue rose about 60% year over year in the third quarter. The company expects to exceed 850,000 Super Cruise subscribers by year-end, providing a growing base for future monetization.

The $7.5 Billion Figure Is Bigger

The more consequential number extends beyond Super Cruise.

GM expects deferred revenue from its overall software and services business to approach $7.5 billion by year-end, up about 40% year over year. Management's Q3 shareholder letter says the pool is supported by growth in both OnStar subscriptions and Super Cruise-equipped vehicles.

That figure is not Super Cruise revenue alone. Deferred revenue reflects amounts recognized over time as GM delivers the underlying services, so it measures the broader business's future revenue base, not direct cash profit or Super Cruise sales.

GM said recognized revenue for OnStar Digital and Super Cruise combined exceeded $800 million in the third quarter, up 15% year over year. For 2026, the company expects realized software and services revenue to exceed $3 billion, with double-digit growth projected for 2027.

What Investors Need to Watch

The opportunity is clear, but scaling adoption does not automatically translate into a proportional increase in profits. Investors will need to watch subscriber growth, post-trial subscription conversion and how much revenue the company generates from its expanding installed base.

For GM, Super Cruise offers a practical test of whether its vehicle distribution can help build a durable software business. The $7.5 billion deferred-revenue figure shows that the opportunity already extends well beyond one feature. The next question is how consistently GM can convert that base into recognized revenue and profitable growth.