GM ditches Cruise’s custom-designed driverless car

General Motors told reporters connected Tuesday that it has indefinitely suspended accumulation of its self-driving Cruise Origin robotaxi, reports The New York Times. The institution volition refocus connected utilizing the Chevy Bolt EV, which Cruise has already been using. A modified mentation volition spell into accumulation adjacent year.

The Origin created “regulatory uncertainty” owing to its design, GM CEO Mary Barra said successful her letter to shareholders today. It was to beryllium purpose-built for self-driving, with nary steering instrumentality oregon pedals, nary wide beforehand oregon rear, and nary driver; but estimates enactment each vehicle’s outgo successful the hundreds of thousands. The institution said successful September past twelvemonth it was “just days away” from regulators approving the Origin for wide production.

Then a period later, Cruise’s robotaxis were banned successful California aft aggregate incidents, including 1 wherever a driverless Cruise car hit and dragged a San Francisco pedestrian. Since then, GM, which has mislaid respective billions connected the institution already, has had to support Cruise afloat portion it reorients.

Meanwhile, Cruise has been investigating its Chevy Bolt EV robotaxis successful Dallas, Houston, and Phoenix, utilizing quality information drivers. The institution resumed investigating earlier this year with manually driven vehicles and nary passengers.