General Motors and its robotaxi subsidiary, Cruise, prepare to resume service and testing after prior safety concerns saw the company voluntarily suspend its fleet from service, according to newly released report.
GM and Cruise are readying for a return to service months after shutting their fleet down in the wake of a collision with a pedestrian.
It has been a bumpy ride for GM’s robotaxi firm Cruise. When we last heard from the company, Cruise pulled its entire fleet of automated Chevrolet Bolt robotaxis from public roads after public pressure due to several safety-related incidents including one from last October when a woman in San Francisco was hit by a vehicle, then a robotaxi which dragged her for several feet before coming to a stop.
The state of California pulled Cruise’s operating permit after that incident and Cruise recalled all of its taxis and attracted the attention of the Federal government. However, GM and Cruise are reportedly preparing to resume operations in selected cities as the two companies attempt to hit the reset button on automated commuting.
Cruise Prepares For Phased Return
As reported by Bloomberg, Cruise is preparing to resume operations on public roads over the next few weeks. As we have seen in the past, Cruise will be returning to select cities but unlike its past efforts, the cars will not be fully
The Cruise Origin was jointly developed by GM and Honda. This Japanese version will rely on a variety of sensors, including lidar.
independent, and will have a human driver behind the wheel to step in if the car fails to safely operate in certain situations.
Cruise is also reported to be taking a phased approach with the company initially launching in one city with supervised drives to help gauge how the cars are doing before proceeding further in a calculated attempt to ensure that its fleet of AVs are safe.
Another benefit of this approach is that it will also allow Cruise reps to go on a PR campaign to rebuild trust with regulators and public officials before the cars hit the roads again. That will especially be important for certain areas where officials in those locations will have plenty of scrutiny and hard questions for Cruise in light of its past incidents.
More Cruise Stories
- Cruise Scales Back — Delays Debut of Origin Robocab
- Cruise CEO Vogt Issues Apology, Resigns in Wake of Near-Fatal Crash
- California Suspends Cruise Robotaxi Permit Following Pedestrian Crash
AutomatedVehicles Still Face An Uncertain Future
Cruise’s ongoing challenges highlight the broader uncertainty that exists in the automated vehicle sector as a whole. While the vehicles themselves are impressive pieces of engineering, they have also faced negative feedback and scrutiny from the general public due to their safety record as well as lingering fears of letting a computer take control away from a human being.
Cruise representatives say that their vehicles are still safe around children and other pedestrians, but those assurances will only do so much to get the public to renew their trust with these types of automobiles and it will ultimately take time.
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