GM shuts down robotaxi project to focus on autonomous vehicles

General Motors (GM) said Tuesday that it will no longer fund the development of robotaxis and instead focus on creating fully autonomous personal vehicles.

Cruise, GM’s self-driving car subsidiary, will be combined with the automaker’s own team to form a single unit focused on autonomous driving.

GM pointed to the “considerable time and resources” needed to scale its robotaxi business and an increasingly competitive market for its decision to abandon the development of self-driving taxis.

“GM is committed to delivering the best driving experiences to our customers in a disciplined and capital efficient manner,” GM chair and CEO Mary Barra said in a statement.

“Cruise has been an early innovator in autonomy, and the deeper integration of our teams, paired with GM’s strong brands, scale, and manufacturing strength, will help advance our vision for the future of transportation,” she added.

The move comes a little over a year after a Cruise robotaxi was involved in a high-profile accident in San Francisco, in which the self-driving car dragged a pedestrian 20 feet after she was struck by another vehicle.

Cruise suspended its operations nationwide in the wake of the accident and faced investigations from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

In September, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that the company had agreed to pay $1.5 million for failing to initially disclose details about the accident.

Topics

GM to Shut Down Its Cruise Robotaxi Project

The company said it would now focus its efforts on developing fully autonomous vehicles for personal use.
The New York Times - 10h
Shutdown D, SGA's 39 carry OKC into Cup semis

Despite his 39 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said it was the Thunder's defense, which held Mavericks stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving to a combined 33 points, that carried the team to a 118-104 ...
ESPN - 13h
GM gives up on loss-making Cruise robotaxi business

STORY: General Motors is giving up on its Cruise robotaxi business. The auto giant said Tuesday that it would end development at the loss-making unit, which had once been a top priority. GM said ...
Yahoo Sports - 20h
General Motors pulls plug on robotaxi business

After the announcement, the project's co-founder posted on social media "GM are a bunch of dummies."
BBC News - 1d
GM exits robotaxi market, will bring Cruise operations in house

General Motors will no longer fund its Cruise division's robotaxi development, effectively pulling out of the market.
CNBC - 1d
GM to retreat from robotaxis and stop funding its Cruise autonomous vehicle unit

General Motors says it will retreat from the robotaxi business and stop funding its money-losing Cruise autonomous vehicle unit
ABC News - 1d
GM to stop funding troubled Cruise autonomous vehicle unit

General Motors says it will move away from the robotaxi business and cease funding its money-losing Cruise autonomous vehicle division that originated as a San Francisco start-up.
CBS News - 1d
Germany to push for autonomous vehicles in public transport, freight

Yahoo News - Dec. 4