General Motors Resumes Cruise Driverless Taxi Operations in Dallas, Houston, and Phoenix

General Motors Revives Cruise Operations in Three Cities

On Tuesday, General Motors (G.M.) announced the resumption of testing for its Cruise driverless taxi division in three Sun Belt cities, utilizing self-driving vehicles equipped with human safety drivers. These drivers will closely monitor the autonomous cars and are prepared to intervene if necessary.

The decision to restart operations comes after G.M. had temporarily halted most activities of Cruise following a serious incident in which one of its vehicles struck and dragged a pedestrian in San Francisco last year. This city, where Cruise is headquartered, had previously seen the extensive deployment of its taxis, available for public hailing via a mobile application.

The unfortunate incident led to California revoking Cruise’s license to operate driverless vehicles within the state. In response, G.M. made significant cuts to its workforce, laying off approximately a quarter of Cruise’s employees, and introduced new leadership to steer the division in a different direction.

G.M.’s Chief Financial Officer, Paul Jacobson, shared that Cruise is now actively providing autonomous ride services in the cities of Dallas, Houston, and Phoenix. He further elaborated that Cruise is currently utilizing self-driving versions of the Chevrolet Bolt electric car. However, production of a dedicated driverless vehicle known as the Cruise Origin has been suspended indefinitely.

The Cruise Origin, a uniquely designed vehicle resembling a rectangular van with no steering wheel or pedals, was developed specifically for the Cruise operation. Mr. Jacobson explained, “From both a regulatory and cost perspective, we believe that, at this moment, the Bolt represents a more viable solution.”

Looking ahead, Cruise plans to transition to a modified version of a redesigned Bolt, which is projected to enter production next year. Mr. Jacobson indicated that this new iteration of the Bolt will be more cost-effective than the Origin, aligning G.M.’s strategy with market demands and regulatory considerations.