Cruise Deploys Manual-Mode Robotaxis in Phoenix
In a blog post released today, Cruise announced their plans to redeploy their robotaxis in Phoenix after a five-month hiatus. However, there’s a catch – the vehicles will be operating in manual mode and will not be driving themselves.
Cruise revealed that they will be resuming manual driving of their autonomous vehicles in selected cities, starting with Phoenix. This move comes after the company pulled its entire U.S. fleet last year following an incident in San Francisco where a pedestrian was struck and dragged by a Cruise robotaxi.
The company had been aggressively expanding in new cities, including Dallas, Houston, and Miami, before the incident. This resulted in criticism from experts who accused Cruise of prioritizing growth over safety.
However, Cruise seems to be changing its strategy and returning to basics. During their pause, the company continued to test their autonomous technology in simulation and on closed courses. Now, with the resumption of manual driving and the creation of high-quality maps and gathering of road information, Cruise hopes to meet elevated safety and performance targets.
The company has not yet announced when or where they will resume driverless operations. Historically, Cruise’s main operations were in San Francisco, but they lost their permits to operate there after the accident. In August 2023, the company began expanding their paid service area in Phoenix. Meanwhile, their main competitor, Alphabet’s Waymo, continues to operate a paid, driverless robotaxi service in San Francisco. Last year, Waymo even doubled their service area in downtown Phoenix and launched driverless rides to the airport.
This news is still developing, so be sure to check back for updates.
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