Cruise Back On Phoenix Roads Soon? GM's Self-Driving Unit Reportedly Gears Up To Resume Robotaxi Testing

Author: Anan Ashraf | April 09, 2024 05:09am

General Motors Co‘s (NYSE:GM) autonomous driving unit Cruise is reportedly gearing to resume testing its robotaxis in Phoenix, Arizona.

What Happened: Cruise is now preparing to resume testing its robotaxis with safety drivers in Phoenix, reported Bloomberg. The company is expected to make an official announcement and commence testing as early as Tuesday, the report said, citing two people familiar with the matter.

In the last few months, Cruise was reportedly in discussions with authorities in 20 metropolitan areas where it previously operated or had begun mapping for future operations.

Cruise did not immediately respond to Benzinga‘s request for comment.

Why It Matters: Following a pedestrian accident involving one of its autonomous vehicles in San Francisco in early October, Cruise suspended both autonomous and manual AV operations in the United States.

GM reported an operating loss of $3.48 billion at Cruise in 2023, compared to a loss of $3.24 billion in 2022. Despite these challenges, GM CEO Mary Barra emphasized the company’s commitment to Cruise during the company's fourth-quarter earnings call in January and said that it would be relaunched.

However, the parent company did not provide a roadmap for relaunch.

Barra indicated that while Cruise’s spending would be significantly reduced this year, investments would continue in developing self-driving software, specialized hardware, and other AI capabilities. 

Check out more of Benzinga's Future Of Mobility coverage by following this link.

Read Next: ‘We Need The Horse First:’ SpaceX CEO Elon Musk Tells How Important Starship Is To Build Self-Sustaining Mars City In 20 Years

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Photo via Shutterstock

Posted In: GM