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
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An Approach for Managing the Risks of Autonomous Cars
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NHTSA Cuts Could Make Roads More Dangerous
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
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Paris Voters Approve More Car-Free Streets
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo says the city will develop a plan to close 500 streets to car traffic and add new bike and pedestrian infrastructure after a referendum on the proposal passed with 66 percent of the vote.
Making Mobility More Inclusive
A new study highlights the challenges people with disabilities continue to face in navigating urban spaces.
Texas Bills Could Push More People Into Homelessness
A proposal to speed up the eviction process and a bill that would accelerate enforcement of an existing camping ban could make the state’s homelessness crisis worse, advocates say.
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This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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