GM’s autonomous vehicle subsidiary, Cruise, is reintroducing a small fleet of robotaxis in Dallas as part of its strategy to validate self-driving systems and restore public trust. This follows a nationwide suspension of its operations last year after a robotaxi accident in San Francisco, which resulted in a pedestrian being run over and mishandled communications by Cruise leadership with regulatory bodies.
Currently, Cruise’s Dallas fleet consists of three vehicles, manually driven by human operators to gather mapping and road data. This phase mirrors their April operations in Phoenix. Future plans include transitioning to supervised autonomous driving, subject to achieving specific safety benchmarks, although these benchmarks have not been detailed by Cruise.
(1/2) Hello @CityOfDallas – it's nice to see you again! This week, we’re excited to start driving in Dallas as we continue to validate our self-driving technology against our rigorous safety and performance standards. pic.twitter.com/TZR8xEDz4a
— cruise (@Cruise) June 3, 2024
Cruise’s operations in Dallas resumed shortly after the company had just begun testing there prior to the San Francisco incident. The company also initiated limited robotaxi services in Austin and Houston, positioning itself as an early entrant into Texas’s autonomous vehicle market. Texas is considered a favorable environment for autonomous vehicle testing due to its favorable weather and legislative landscape, potentially making it a key area for the commercial adoption of such technologies.
Despite the focus on Texas, Cruise is also looking to reestablish its presence in California. The company is in talks with the California Department of Motor Vehicles to reinstate its operating permits, aiming to compete with Alphabet’s Waymo, which has recently received approval to operate commercially on San Francisco’s freeways and in Los Angeles.
Cruise has shifted to a cautious rollout strategy, contrasting with its previous aggressive expansion that led to safety concerns. The company has not provided detailed plans for its reentry but is clearly prioritizing a measured and safety-focused approach this time around.
Filed in . Read more about Autonomous Cars and Autonomous Driving.