Cruise plans to resume robotaxi services in California after accident

General Motors' autonomous driving unit, Cruise, is planning to resume its robotaxi operations in California after a pause due to a pedestrian accident involving one of its driverless vehicles late last year. The company announced that it will begin deploying manual mapping vehicles in Sunnyvale and Mountain View, California, starting Thursday. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to reintroduce supervised robotaxi testing in the Bay Area later this fall, with plans to utilize up to five autonomous vehicles. The suspension of operations followed increased regulatory scrutiny and the departure of co-founder and former CEO Kyle Vogt after the San Francisco accident. Despite the challenges, Cruise has been active in other locations, having resumed manual driving in Phoenix earlier this year and expanding to Houston and Dallas in June. The company is keen to engage with local regulators and stakeholders to refine its technology through research and development. Financially, Cruise has faced significant losses, reporting an operating loss of $1.65 billion in the first half of 2024, which is a 28% increase compared to the same period last year. Additionally, General Motors invested $583 million in restructuring efforts for Cruise during this timeframe. The company also issued a recall for its entire U.S. fleet due to concerns over unexpected braking, which was addressed through a software update. As Cruise moves forward with its plans, the resumption of testing in California represents a critical step in rebuilding trust and advancing its autonomous vehicle technology amid ongoing regulatory challenges and operational hurdles.