General Motors’ Cruise self-driving vehicle unit is preparing to redeploy cars on U.S. roadways for the first time since October. They will start with a small fleet of human-driven vehicles in Phoenix, marking the relaunch after a previous accident in San Francisco. This accident raised serious concerns about the safety of autonomous vehicles, leading to the temporary halt of operations.
The redeployed vehicles will not be functioning as robotaxis as they previously did. Instead, they will be focused on creating maps and gathering road information in select cities, starting with Phoenix. Despite this, Cruise has stated that their ultimate goal is to resume driverless operations. However, they have not provided a specific timeline for when this will happen. The company is also yet to announce when human-driven vehicles will be introduced in other cities.
Cruise emphasized that the relaunch with human drivers is a critical step in validating their self-driving systems. Following the October incident, they decided to pause operations in order to rebuild trust with regulators and the communities they serve. Their focus has been on redesigning their approach to safety and making continuous improvements guided by new leadership and third-party recommendations. Cruise is dedicated to fostering a close partnership with the communities where their vehicles operate.
A third-party probe, commissioned by GM and Cruise, revealed culture issues, ineptitude, and poor leadership as contributing factors to the accident. However, no evidence of a cover-up by Cruise leadership was found. The company accepted the conclusions of the report and committed to implementing all recommendations. Cruise is fully cooperating with investigations by state and federal agencies, including the California DMV, the California Public Utilities Commission, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
In addition to the operational pause, Cruise underwent significant changes in leadership. The co-founders, including CEO Kyle Vogt, resigned, and nine other leaders were ousted. The company also had to lay off 24% of its workforce and terminate a round of contractors. These drastic measures were part of Cruise’s efforts to address the issues identified in the investigation and rebuild trust with regulators, stakeholders, and the general public.
The redeployment of General Motors’ Cruise self-driving vehicles in Phoenix marks a pivotal moment in the company’s journey towards resuming driverless operations. Despite facing challenges and setbacks, Cruise remains committed to safety, improvements, and transparency. The company’s willingness to accept responsibility for past mistakes and cooperate with regulatory authorities signals a new chapter in its efforts to revolutionize the future of transportation.