General Motors' Cruise Expands Robotaxi Testing in Phoenix

After a six-month hiatus, Cruise has announced the resumption of its autonomous vehicle testing in Phoenix, Arizona. The company, a subsidiary of General Motors (GM), had halted its driverless operations across the United States following an incident in San Francisco that left a pedestrian stuck under and then dragged by one of its robotaxis.

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Supervised Autonomous Driving in Phoenix

Cruise has started testing two vehicles in autonomous mode on public roads in metro Phoenix. A human safety operator will be behind the wheel during this phase of testing, ensuring the vehicle’s systems can handle complex situations. The company plans to gradually expand to other Phoenix suburbs, including Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Tempe, Mesa, Gilbert, and Chandler.

According to a Twitter post by Cruise, "This week, we’re excited to begin supervised autonomous driving in Phoenix. During this phase, our cars drive autonomously, with a safety driver behind the wheel to monitor and take over if needed. Safety continues to be the defining principle for everything we do."

Critical Validation Phase

Cruise has described its current testing phase as a "critical validation phase," where it’s focused on validating the technology against predetermined safety and AV performance requirements. This phase is crucial in ensuring that Cruise’s autonomous vehicles meet the necessary standards before expanding to other areas.

Relaunch of Operations

The relaunch of operations in Phoenix has been slow, with Cruise starting by mapping and collecting road information using manually driven vehicles. This marks a significant moment for Cruise as it attempts to rebuild trust after the October 2 incident in San Francisco that led to California regulators suspending its deployment and driverless testing permits.

Incident Review

A report released by law firm Quinn Emanuel in January concluded that Cruise didn’t intentionally mislead regulators. Instead, the report highlighted a lack of judgment, missteps by leadership, an "us versus them" relationship with regulators, and a fixation on correcting the inaccurate media narrative as contributing factors to Cruise’s problems.

Impact on Operations

The incident led to the resignation of Co-founder and CEO Kyle Vogt and resulted in 24% of the workforce being laid off. The company has since made significant changes, including stacking its board with GM executives and hiring law firm Quinn Emanuel to review the incident.

Timeline of Events

October 2: Incident occurs in San Francisco, leaving a pedestrian stuck under and then dragged by one of Cruise’s robotaxis.
Within weeks: Cruise pauses all operations, including testing in Austin and Miami.
Ousting of senior leaders: The company ousts its leadership, including Co-founder and CEO Kyle Vogt.
Laying off 24% of the workforce: The company lays off a significant portion of its employees as part of its efforts to rebuild trust.

Cruise’s Return to Operations

The resumption of operations in Phoenix marks a crucial step for Cruise as it attempts to regain its position in the autonomous vehicle market. With a focus on validating technology against predetermined safety and AV performance requirements, the company is ensuring that its vehicles meet the necessary standards before expanding to other areas.

Conclusion

Cruise’s return to operations in Phoenix comes after a six-month hiatus following an incident in San Francisco that left a pedestrian stuck under and then dragged by one of its robotaxis. The company has made significant changes, including ousting senior leaders, laying off 24% of the workforce, and hiring law firm Quinn Emanuel to review the incident. With a focus on validating technology against predetermined safety and AV performance requirements, Cruise is attempting to rebuild trust in the autonomous vehicle market.