The company suspended the Cruise self-driving taxi service late last year after a vehicle struck and seriously injured a pedestrian.
General Motors is ending its investment in Cruise, the company’s self-driving taxi division.
According to a Smart Cities Dive article by Dan Zukowski, GM cited the high cost of operating the service as a major reason for shutting it down. GM CEO Mary Barra said launching and operating a robotaxi business would cost significantly more than the $10 billion the company has already invested and that “A robotaxi business is not General Motors’ core business.”
The troubled robotaxi service was under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and had its operating permit revoked in California after a vehicle struck and dragged a pedestrian, seriously injuring them. The company suspended operations shortly after the incident.
The Alphabet-owned Waymo autonomous taxi service is still operating in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix, in spite of concerns from city leaders. For its part, “GM plans to leverage Cruise’s expertise in autonomous technology to further develop its driver-assistance software, called Super Cruise, available on some General Motors vehicles.”
FULL STORY: GM shuts troubled Cruise robotaxi unit
Waymo Gets Permission to Map SF’s Market Street
If allowed to operate on the traffic-restricted street, Waymo’s autonomous taxis would have a leg up over ride-hailing competitors — and counter the city’s efforts to grow bike and pedestrian on the thoroughfare.
An Approach for Managing the Risks of Autonomous Cars
As ‘robotaxis’ and other autonomous vehicles make their way onto American streets, cities can take proactive steps to mitigate risks and balance the benefits and challenges of new technology.
Amazon's steering wheel- and brake pedal-less Zoox robotaxis receive nation's first go-ahead for paid public rides
The NHTSA is giving a temporary permit to some autonomous cars that don't meet current safety standards as it develops a new framework for self-driving vehicles.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association