The criticism for the Cruise driverless taxis has just died down, and not yet completely. Still, people in the US will be seeing the cars around again soon as General Motors is gearing up to re-release them since it was suspended in October.
Cruise's Redeployment
A small number of self-driving cars would be released soon in Phoenix after General Motors announced that it would shut down operations back in October. This time around, the robotaxis will not be released as unmanned vehicles.
Now operating with human drivers, the company said that it is "a critical step for validating our self-driving systems as we work towards returning to our driverless mission." Cruise's eventual goal is to bring back automated driving for its cars.
There's not a lot of information about the redeployment, since General Motors did not disclose its plans for expansion for its human-driven taxis. It's also unclear when the company plans to bring back its driverless taxis without human supervision.
As mentioned in CNBC, Cruise paused operations so they could "focus on rebuilding trust with regulators and the communities we serve, and to redesign our approach to safety." With the incident that led to its suspension, this step was vital for the service.
"We've made significant progress, guided by new company leadership, recommendations from third-party experts, and a focus on a close partnership with the communities in which our vehicles operate. We are committed to this improvement as a continuous effort," Cruise added.
Cruise Accident
There was already a string of minor incidents involving Cruise's robotaxis, but the accident that caused a pedestrian to be dragged across the road for 20 feet was the final nail in the coffin for the company. While the victim survived, she sustained major injuries from the crash.
Before the robotaxi made contact with the civilian, she was already hit by a human-driven car and was thrown into the path of the driverless taxi. What made the accident worse was that Cruise allegedly tried to downplay the extent of it.
Back in December, California regulators accused the company of covering up the details, which led to a potential $1.5 million fine. The initial report said that the robotaxi immediately stopped after making contact with the pedestrian.
The accident not only resulted in Cruise's operations being suspended, but it also caused several executives to be removed from the company. According to Electrek, nine executives were fired by General Motors after the poor handling of the situation.
The impacted staff included Chief Operating Officer Gil West, Chief Legal and Policy Officer Jeff Bleich, and Senior Vice President of Government Affairs David Estrada. The company believed that "new leadership is necessary" to rebuild trust and operate with the highest standards.
For now, Cruise will have to stick to human-driven operations to ease into the service. The company has huge stakes in redeploying the vehicles, especially since it already lost almost $2 billion last year between January to September, along with the $732 million loss in the third quarter.
