General Motors’ Cruise self-driving vehicle unit will redeploy cars on U.S. roadways for the first time since October, starting with a small fleet of human-driven vehicles in Phoenix, the company announced on Tuesday.
The relaunch comes after the company halted operations following an accident in San Francisco on October 2, where a pedestrian was dragged 20 feet by a Cruise robotaxi after being hit by another vehicle.
An investigation conducted by GM and Cruise found that culture issues, ineptitude, and poor leadership were to blame for regulatory oversights that led to the accident. The probe also looked into claims of a cover-up by Cruise leadership, but found no evidence to support those allegations.
As of late January, Cruise was under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Cruise stated in a blog post that they paused operations in October 2023 to rebuild trust with regulators and communities, and to enhance safety measures. They have since made progress under new leadership, guidance from experts, and by working closely with the communities where their vehicles operate.
Cruise aims to resume driverless operations but did not specify a timeline. The company described the relaunch with human drivers as a crucial step in validating their self-driving systems as they move towards their driverless mission.
This is a developing story. Stay tuned for updates.
General Motors’ Cruise self-driving vehicle unit is redeploying cars on U.S. roadways for the first time since October, starting with a small fleet of human-driven vehicles in Phoenix. This comes after operations were halted following an accident in which a pedestrian in San Francisco was hit by a Cruise robotaxi. A third-party probe found that culture issues, ineptitude, and poor leadership were at the center of regulatory oversights leading to the accident. Allegations of a coverup by Cruise leadership were also investigated but found to be unsubstantiated. Cruise is currently being investigated by various entities, including the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The company paused operations in October 2023 to rebuild trust with regulators and communities and improve safety. Cruise’s goal is to resume driverless operations, but no timeline has been provided. The relaunch of the fleet with human drivers is seen as a critical step towards validating the self-driving systems as they work towards returning to their driverless mission.
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