I cannot speak for Gibsons, but I am familiar with American Standards and Highway Ones.
There are some very important differences between American Standards and Highway Ones - non the least of which is the jumbo frets found on Highway Ones. I think the neck/string spacing is narrower compensate for this (I could be wrong, but I thought I saw it on a Fender promo video).
Pickups and tone circuits are different as well - (Highway One's are supposed to be hotter).
So in some respects, they are different guitars aimed at different buyers/markets - Highway One's are not merely a lower priced alternative to the American Standard.
Personally, I bought the Highway One Tele over the American Standard for a number of reasons, only one of which was price. I was looking for a more crunch-friendly guitar that was really easy to bend on - it was a good fit and put me in a different "market" than that of the American Standard Telecaster.
I also liked the 3 saddle vintage bridge over the American Standard - it's got a more classic vibe.
When a hardshell case was thrown in for free, I was sold!
NOW, as far as quality is concerned, the Highway One's feel "cheaper", but this purely a subjective reaction on my part to the finish which feels alot different than standard gloss (not as tough).
However, there are great American Standards and great Highway Ones - there are also stinkers in both camps. I tried 10 different Highway Ones before I found one that I deemed to be perfect.